Sapphic Salad
by sociallyawkwardpenguin
Summary: Another Callie/Erica story, starting from the season 4 finale and working it's way through the first weeks of their relationship together. My 1st fan fic, and I'm not the best writer, so please be gentle with your criticisms. Rated M. More to come.
1. Key to their Hearts

**Author's Note: **Standard disclaimers apply. I do not own the rights to this show. All characters and related entities belong to the owners/creators of Grey's Anatomy.

I don't write a lot, and this is my first fan fic. Let me know if it's worth my time and energy to keep going here, OK? Thanks!

* * *

"I can't find the damn keys. I know I put them in this bag this morning, but this whole thing with Yang…"

"Erica, I'm saying something."

Callie's interruption takes Erica by surprise and she's about to playfully continue with her rant when she sees the fear and uncertainty in Callie's face. Suddenly Erica stops talking and her expression softens. The need in Callie's face is unmistakable. It's a reflection of the same need that Erica had been seeing on her own face in the mirror every day since she and Callie became friends.

It's the need that Erica tried to channel to Callie when they were in the cafeteria yesterday joking about threesomes and she laid her head on Callie's gorgeous shoulder.

It's the need that Erica just about screamed out loud when she kissed Callie in the elevator.

It's the need she knew they both felt today as they "played a game of Twister" over Cement Boy.

"I just wanted to say…" Callie stops herself. For a brief moment, Erica was sure that they would both lose their nerve, and that brief second almost causes her heart to stop beating.

"I just wanted to say…" Callie stops herself again but only to draw in a deep breath and gaze longingly at Erica's lips. Then it happened. Callie kissed her. It was the single most romantic feeling Erica had ever experienced. All of the weeks of wondering if Callie had been feeling the same way she had been feeling had suddenly been worth this very moment.

The kiss was short but sweet, and suddenly Erica remembered where her keys were. As the two friends gazed lovingly into one another's eyes, Erica slid her hand into her coat pocket and pulled out her keys. She jingled them next to Callie's face and murmured "I found my keys" as she leaned in for another kiss.

This time Callie pulled away and gave a sly smile. "Are you going to drive me home with those keys?"

It was Erica's turn to give her famous sly grin. "I'm going to take you home. I'm going to take you back to my home. The thought of you going back to Yang's place tonight is just nightmarish. Come home with me."

Callie didn't need any encouragement. She slid her arm around Erica's waist and the two half walked; half ran to Erica's car.

Callie had been to Erica's place before but it had never been this big a deal for her. Usually they just watched movies and drank wine. Usually the nights ended too soon and Callie headed back to Yang's apartment to sleep on the couch, utterly alone and lonely. There had been so many nights lately when Callie had gone back to Yang's apartment thinking that it didn't feel like home. Erica's place felt like home. Erica's place had felt like home long before Addison had made her think of Erica as more than just her best friend. The pieces were starting to fall into place, and Callie wondered if she had known all along that she would end up with Erica somehow.

Erica parked in her driveway, but didn't turn off the car. She looked over at Callie and whispered "Once we go in there, we can never go back to the way things were before".

Callie understood and just nodded. Erica turned off the car and the two got out. As they walked up the flagstone path to Erica's front door, Callie took Erica's hand and held it. It felt right to do that. It wasn't even something she had to think about- she took Erica's hand in her own the same way she would take her next breath or blink her eyes.

Once in the house, Erica dropped her bag by the coffee table, neatly placed her shoes by the front door and hung up her coat on a rack near the stairs. She looked up the stairs and back at Callie. Callie knew that they both wanted to run up the stairs to her bedroom and do very naughty things, but instead, Callie sat down on the sofa. She motioned to Erica to sit next to her. Both were filled with an awkward uneasiness that they had never felt before. Finally, Callie took Erica's hand and started to speak.

"I've wanted to kiss you for ages, but didn't know if you felt the same way about me that I felt about you. And I was too afraid of losing your friendship if I kissed you and you didn't feel the same way about me. You know what finally made me do it? Cement Boy!"

"What?" Erica giggled. Callie's voice was starting to calm her down considerably. Erica wasn't even sure what the two of them should do next, but just sitting here, across from her best friend (and the best kisser she'd ever met) was starting to help her calm down.

Erica's giggle calmed Callie too. "Erica doesn't laugh enough," Callie thought. "I want to see her laugh more often!"

"Yes, Cement Boy. Well, actually his girlfriend, Lola. I realized tonight after I gave her advice about not caring about what other people think and just being honest, that I was really talking about myself and how I feel about you."

Erica smiled. "This is pretty uncharted territory for me. I've never fallen in love with a woman before."

"You love me?" Callie was grinning from ear to ear. It was the best news she'd heard in weeks. It wasn't just a physical attraction for Erica, and that made Callie overflow with joy, because it wasn't just a lust thing for her either. "I love you too. You don't know how much I've wanted to tell you that! When we were at Joe's and I told you what Addison had said, something inside of me made me stop short. I was going to tell you right then and there that I really thought we should be a couple, because when we're together we're happy like a couple… but the fear of losing my best friend was too much."

Erica moved closer to Callie and put her arms around her. Callie was still grinning from ear to ear, and it made Erica laugh that beautiful laugh again. Then she kissed Callie again, but with a little more urgency this time.

The urgency did not go unnoticed by Callie. Callie kissed Erica back, and slowly ran her fingers through Erica's soft, blond hair. Erica leaned towards Callie, so that Callie would have to lean back on to the couch. Soon the two were lost in their kiss, with Erica leaning over Callie and letting her hands roam over Callie's body. Callie moaned as Erica gently ran a hand over her breast, the nipple becoming instantly sensitive and erect.

Callie followed suit and raised one hand to Erica's collar bone, tracing her fingers down to her shoulder before wrapping her arms tightly around Erica's neck, and deepening the kiss. With her other hand she worked her way up to Erica's thigh and started to rub, gently, up and down. With each motion she got closer and closer to Erica's crotch. Soon, neither could take it anymore.

Erica pulled away. "I-" she stammered. "I'm afraid of not doing this right."

Callie gave her another sly grin. "You were doing a great job before you stopped! This is going to be awkward for us. I know that, and you know that. It's not like either one of us has ever done this with another woman before. But we both learned how to do it with men, and there's no reason we can't learn to please one another. Also, there's no reason to rush things. As much as I would love to get into those pants of yours, I can definitely wait if that's what you want."

Erica smiled as she remembered her first time with a man. Well, a boy actually. They were both teenagers, parked in a car behind a local church. Yes, a church. The sex was awkward and painful. The next time it got better and better again after that. Yes, this was going to be awkward. Suddenly she didn't care, because it was Callie that she was going to learn to do this with. Callie. Her best friend, who knew her better and loved her more than anyone else in the world. Erica suddenly realized she had nothing to worry about.

Callie interrupted Erica's reverie. "You're thinking about your first time with a guy, right?"

Erica was thrilled- Callie had such a fantastic way of reading her mind. "Yes. It wasn't great. It was awkward and painful for me. I wasn't ready but felt like I had to prove that I was. I felt pressured and regretted it from the start. It did get better after that though."

"It was the same for me, too Erica. So let's act like teenagers. Let's make out until our lips are numb. Sex can wait. We'll wait until we're more sure of ourselves. We'll wait until it's the right time. We'll wait until-"

Callie was unable to finish her sentence because Erica had placed her hands on Callie's cheeks and pulled her towards her. The two did exactly like Callie said. They made out until their lips were numb. They explored each other's bodies through their clothes, but they didn't make love. That would come soon enough.


	2. Taking it Slowly

The following morning, Erica awoke wondering why she was on her sofa, fully clothed, and what was that weight on top of her

The following morning, Erica awoke wondering why she was on her sofa, fully clothed, and what was that weight on top of her? Then Callie stirred, and last night's memories came flooding back to her. She was surprised at how content she felt. She had been fantasizing about Callie for weeks, but always imagined the aftermath of their first night together as shameful or upsetting. The fact that Callie was still there, holding her just the way she was last night, brought nothing but joy to Erica. When Callie opened her chocolate colored eyes and gazed deeply into Erica's eyes, it was easy to tell that Callie was feeling the same way.

Erica smiled at Callie. Then she laughed a big, heavy belly laugh that almost knocked Callie off of her.

Callie suddenly got nervous. Was Erica laughing at her? "What? What is it?"

Erica calmed down and they both sat up. "I'm sorry; I am just laughing at how silly we were. How we kept avoiding each other and suppressing our feelings for one another. I'm overjoyed about all of this Callie. I'm thrilled that we're going to take it slow and I'm thrilled that you're more than just my best friend now. I was just laughing because the tension is gone. I'm laughing because it feels so great to wake up with you in my arms."

Callie grinned broadly. This was the laugh that she loved to hear from Erica.

Erica continued, a sneaky grin spreading across her lips. "I'm also laughing a little bit because you have a massive case of bed head."

This time Callie laughed too and pulled one of the pillows off the couch. She swung it at Erica and Erica blocked it with her hand. Erica jumped up and ran towards the stairs. Callie dropped the sofa pillow and gave chase. On the second or third step, Callie grabbed Erica's ankle and held it fast. Erica stumbled and was lying, face down on the stairs. Instead of getting up and continuing to walk up the stairs, Erica rolled over on to her back, supporting herself with her elbows, legs spread apart and knees slightly bent.

Callie had begun crawling up towards Erica on her hands and knees. The smile on her face had been replaced by a look of pure lust. Callie crawled up the stairs and pinned down Erica's body with her own. Callie never took her eyes off of Erica's. By the time Callie made it up to Erica, the two of them were both breathing hard. The wait, while only a few seconds long, seemed to never end for Erica. Finally, Callie lowered her lips to Erica's. The kiss was gentle, but passionate. Already, kisses like these were beginning to feel normal for the two of them.

Callie laid herself over Erica, allowing her thigh to sit between Erica's legs. Their breasts rested against one another, nipples touching through the thin fabric of their shirts. Callie's long, dark curls were matted from sleep, but still hung around her face as she came up for air from their kiss. Erica knew she would never forget the look on Callie's face at this very moment. The light coming from the stairwell skylight made Callie's skin glow. Her eyes burned into Erica's. Callie's breathing had become ragged and completely in sync with Erica's. Her cheeks had taken on a red tint from her rapid pulse. Erica knew all about having a rapid pulse right now, and it wasn't just because she was the best cardio-thoracic surgeon in the country.

Callie leaned her leg in slightly, knowing where she was pushing and hoping it would give Erica the same tingling sensation she got every time Erica touched her, no matter where Erica touched her. Erica's sharp intake of breath told her that she had hit the spot. Callie lowered her head for another kiss and Erica pushed up against Callie's thigh, subtly grinding against it. Erica moaned and wanted more. She tried to pull Callie in closer, but when she moved her elbows up off of the stairs, she fell backward as there was nothing left to support her. Callie tried to keep a straight face, but Erica started laughing and the moment had been lost.

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**Author's Note:** Standard disclaimers apply. I do not own the rights to this show. All characters and related entities belong to the owners/creators of Grey's Anatomy.

I don't write a lot, and this is my first fan fic. Let me know if it's worth my time and energy to keep going here, OK? Thanks!

* * *


	3. Staircases and Showers

Callie rolled off of Erica and propped herself up next to her on the stairs. The two of them looked each other straight in the eye while they laughed a bit. "I love it when you laugh." Callie whispered.

Erica took Callie's hand and the two sat silently on the stairs for a moment longer. Finally Erica said "I'm off today but have patients I need to look in on. It should only take an hour or so. If you're free, why don't we spend the day together?"

"I have rounds this morning, but no surgeries scheduled because it's Sunday. Barring any emergencies, we could definitely spend the day together."

"Good," said Erica "I'll grab some clothes for you and you can go shower. We'll have a quick breakfast and head in. The sooner we get there, the sooner we can get out of there!"

Callie suddenly looked like the cat that swallowed the canary. "I know of one way to get us there faster!" She stood up and held her hand out to Erica. Erica took it and Callie led her up the stairs. At the top, Erica stopped short.

"Callie, do you want us to shower together?" Suddenly it was Erica who was reading Callie's mind.

"Well, uh, yeah. Don't you want to?" Suddenly Callie was nervous because of the doubt plastered all over Erica's face.

"I thought we were going to take it slow…" Erica said, almost apologetically.

"You're right, Erica. I didn't mean to push things. I'm sorry. I don't know what I was thinking!"

"You were thinking about showering with me. That's what you were thinking!" Erica chided playfully. "Honestly, is your mind always in the gutter? You've been hanging out with Sloan too much." she said as she pulled Callie close and kissed her lightly on the cheek. "We'll get there Callie. Right now, let's just enjoy what we've got and the anticipation of it all."

And just to torture her a little more, Erica kissed Callie, sliding her tongue between Callie's lips. Callie moaned. She felt like she could melt, right there at the top of the stairs.When Erica slid her hands up under Callie's shirt and playfully tweaked both of Callie's nipples before pulling away and walking in to her bedroom, Callie gasped "Erica Hahn, you are such a tease". Erica giggled and started opening drawers in her dresser. She tossed some clothes at Callie.

"Here, this should fit you. You can shower in the bathroom down the hall and I'll shower in the master bath. Technically we'll be showering at the same time, saving ourselves some time, but not yet showering together." Erica stuck out her tongue and winked, before closing her bedroom door.

Callie giggled and walked down to the hallway to the bathroom. She was amazed at Erica's resolve, slightly frustrated because she was momentarily separated from Erica, and more than just a little horny. Erica had been right though- they'd get there soon enough and hopefully it would be that much sweeter when they finally did.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Standard disclaimers apply. I do not own the rights to this show. All characters and related entities belong to the owners/creators of Grey's Anatomy.

I don't write a lot, and this is my first fan fic. Let me know if it's worth my time and energy to keep going here, OK? Thanks!

* * *


	4. Decisions

When the two arrived at Seattle Grace, they paused before getting out of the car. They both said the same thing to one another at the same time:

"What do we tell people?"

They laughed because neither of them was quite sure of what to do. This insecurity seemed to be a recurring theme between the two of them in the last twenty-four hours, but both were secretly confident that as long as they had one another, they had nothing to worry about.

"Erica, I'm not ready to tell people yet. Please don't get me wrong, I love you and I'm going to tell people that I love you eventually, but this is a bit new and surprising for me. I'd like to sort out all of my feelings about you and get comfortable with your new role in my life before I broadcast it to everyone I know."

"I agree Callie. But I'm not sure if I can ever broadcast it. I don't want to keep you a secret, but I don't want to feed the rumor mill here. They have enough dirt to keep them busy for the next century. When I walk into this hospital, I leave who I am outside the hospital doors. I was like that even before I fell in love with my best friend. I'm not ashamed of what I feel for you, Cal, but I just don't know if I can ever walk in one day and say 'Hi, I'm Erica Hahn, the world's best cardio-thoracic surgeon and lesbian. And this is my lesbian lover, Callie Torres. I'm sure you've probably met her.'"

Erica's words caused a knot to form in Callie's stomach. Lesbian? Is that what she is now? A lesbian? Just because she had fallen in love with her best friend?

Erica seemed to notice Callie's pause. "Callie, that's what we are now. It's a label and I hate labels, but if being called a lesbian is the only way I can love you, then that is what I am. I just don't know if I'm able to tell the whole world that. Let's take it slowly. Let's take it one day at a time and keep things on a 'need-to-know' basis among the people here. This isn't something we have to decide right now, okay?"

Callie nodded. She loved how Erica could sooth her, and chase her fears away. She loved how Erica could read her thoughts and analyze her feelings without Callie having to say a single word. She loved Erica Hahn.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Standard disclaimers apply. I do not own the rights to this show. All characters and related entities belong to the owners/creators of Grey's Anatomy.

Thanks for the positive feedback so far. I have to admit I got a little giddy when I read your reviews. Here's a little more before I pack it in for the night. :)

I don't write a lot, and this is my first fan fic. Let me know if it's worth my time and energy to keep going here, OK? Thanks!


	5. Threats and Promises

The two walked in to the hospital and went their separate ways. Erica went to the attending doctor's lounge and picked up some of her files. She wasn't scrubbing in on any surgeries and she hoped to get out of there quickly today, so she didn't even bother to put on scrubs.

Callie entered the resident doctor's lounge and walked over to her locker. She had brushed her teeth with a finger at Erica's, but had a toothbrush here, so the first thing Callie did was brush her teeth. As she finished, she looked in the mirror over the sink. Suddenly the face looking back at her wasn't the woman she had been when she left the hospital yesterday. "Lesbian?" she murmured. Callie quickly pushed the thought out of her mind. She had rounds to do and wanted to get them over and done with. The sooner she finished here, the sooner she could spend the rest of the day with Erica. Lesbian or not, every minute without Erica was torture.

Callie walked over to the nurses' station to inquire about one of her patients. Standing there was Cristina Yang, Mark Sloan, and a handful of nurses all going about different tasks and paying no mind to Callie. As Callie inquired about her patient, Erica turned the corner and caught Callie's eye. Erica gave her a smile and a wink, and was about to continue onward when Mark Sloan caused both Callie and Erica's hearts to skip a beat.

"Well hello there! How is the happy couple today?" Mark bellowed as he wrapped his arms around the two women. Erica's jaw dropped and Callie's face blanched. Neither could seem to come up with a reply quick enough. Then a miracle happened. Cristina Yang, of all people, put an end to it all before the secret could really be let out of the bag.

"Honestly, Dr. Sloan, must you constantly distract us? We were discussing Mrs. Abram's skin cell harvest for her surgery next week." Mark's face dropped, as did his arms from around both women. Cristina babbled something about the need for extra skin to cover a surgical incision and Mark looked vaguely disappointed. Erica's heart started beating again and she continued walking down the hall without looking back at Callie. Callie grabbed her patients chart from the nurse and decided to go and check on her patient herself, just so she could get out of there.

Callie stood outside of room 4302 and tried to catch her breath. Mark. How could she have forgotten so quickly? He must have stuck around to see the smooch last night, after he encouraged her to go after Erica. "I wish I was all somebody ever thought about" he had said the day before in the scrub room. "Yeah, right," Callie thought. "Now all he's going to think about are me and Erica kissing in front of the hospital! I'm going to have to talk to him. He's going to have to keep his mouth shut, at least for the time being. I'm also going to have a hard time explaining that to Erica. She's probably wondering how he even knows about it."

Her resolve steadied, Callie placed her hand on the door to room 4302 and was about to enter when a voice said from behind her "You didn't come home last night. Mark Sloan called you and Hahn a couple. Want to tell me what's going on?"

Yang. Callie turned around. "Cristina, thank you for what you did back there, but this isn't something I can talk about right now."

"Well, I'd like to talk about it. Don't think I didn't put two and two together. You've been over the moon about Hahn for weeks now. And if Hahn wasn't such an emotionless bitch-"

"Hey!" Callie screeched. "Don't talk about her like that. You don't know her from a hole in the wall. She's a good person, with a good heart."

"So you've said before, but I'm yet to see that Torres." Cristina hissed the final 's' in Torres like a snake. "I know that she won't teach me, and that the Chief won't tolerate her not teaching me anymore. So here's the thing- either she starts teaching me, or I start telling people what I suspect and you're out of a home. Got it?"

Callie couldn't believe what she'd just heard. Yang, threatening her? "I thought you were a better person than that, Yang." Callie whispered. Cristina just glared at her and stormed away.

The patient in room 4302 was doing well. His incision was healing nicely and there was minimal swelling around the area where the pins had been placed to hold his femur together. Callie signed his discharge papers and placed the file back behind the nurses' station. Callie rushed through the rest of her rounds and went on the search for Erica. They really needed to talk.

It took Callie nearly forty minutes to find Erica. She was sitting in the resident's lounge, purse on her lap and her face set in stone.

"Hey." Callie said. Something was amiss here. What had gone one between the incident with Sloan and now?" You probably think I told Sloan about us, right?"

"No, I don't think that, Callie." Erica said in a voice that was quite low and quite clipped. "I'm fairly positive, based on his greeting this morning that I _know_ you told Sloan about us. Sloan? Callie, what were you thinking?"

Callie's words were rushed and shaky. "Actually, I didn't tell Sloan anything. I know you think I did, but hear me out for a minute." Erica rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest. "Last night, as he and I were leaving the hospital, he finally convinced me to tell you what I'd been feeling. And I never once told him what I was feeling- he just knew it. He knew it because every time I had sex with him, my heart wasn't in it. My heart wasn't in it because I wasn't having sex with you. He knew that, because no one in this hospital doesn't give sex with the pretty man whore their complete attention. So last night, as we were leaving, there you were. You were leaning over your bag, digging around for your keys. He encouraged me to go and talk to you. And when I couldn't talk, and I kissed you instead, he must have stuck around to see it. So that's how he knows. I swear Erica, I didn't talk to him. I wouldn't talk to him. This is between you and me."

Erica's face softened but a look of doubt remained.

"Erica, I swear, when could I have ever spoken to him? Up until the moment when he wrapped his arms around both of us this morning, I hadn't been away from you long enough to tell him anything!"

Finally, Erica cracked a tiny smile. "So he watched us make out again, huh? That's twice that he's gotten to watch us kiss. Pretty man whore is probably obsessed with the thought of us by now…"

Callie was thrilled that the anger had passed, but suddenly her conversation with Yang popped back into her head. "I think we have something bigger to worry about than Sloan. I can talk to Sloan and he'll keep his mouth shut, at least for a while. He claims he's growing, and I almost believe him because of what he said to me last night. This morning may have been a setback for him though!"

"What else do we have to worry about, Callie?" Erica didn't even laugh at the little joke Callie had tried to squeeze in. Her smile had faded back into the tight-lipped smirk that Erica usually reserved for Cristina Yang.

"Yang."

"Yang?" Erica asked, incredulous. "You told YANG about us?"

"No, I didn't. But she approached me after her little save this morning and told me what the Chief had said to you yesterday. She said to me that she'd noticed how 'over the moon' I'd been about you and she questioned why I didn't come home last night. And then she told me that if you don't start to teach her, she won't keep her mouth shut about what she suspects and she won't let me live with her anymore."

"That's blackmail." Erica said, her cheeks flushing bright red.

"You're gorgeous when you're mad" Callie blurted out, not even realizing what she'd just said and suddenly wishing she could take it back.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Standard disclaimers apply. I do not own the rights to this show. All characters and related entities belong to the owners/creators of Grey's Anatomy.

Thanks to all of you that subsrcibed and offered positive feedback. I really wasn't expecting this much of a response! I promise to try and keep you all entertained. :) More to come! Thanks again!


	6. Little White Lies

Erica's reaction was completely unexpected. "You're gorgeous all the time, Callie." Erica walked over and put her arms around Callie.

"Come on, let's get out of here. We have to work this out. The Chief did tell me that I have to teach that sneaking, brown-nosing brat of a resident, and I will, but not because she's threatening to out us. The first thing you're going to do is move in with me. That will quash one of her threats right away."

Callie's jaw dropped.

"Oh come on, Torres! You're sleeping on a couch and living out of garbage bags as luggage. Just go and get your stuff while Cristina's still here and we'll get you settled in at my place in an hour or so."

Callie never saw that coming. "Don't you think that's a bit quick? I mean, we're taking it slowly, aren't we?"

"We are taking it slowly, Torres," Erica had that sly look on her face again. "I said you could move in with me, not sleep with me. You can take the bedroom down the hall from mine until we feel ready for the next step. Now, go get your stuff. Our day of fun awaits us!"

"Our day of fun?" Callie giggled.

"Whatever..." Erica shrugged and then hugged Callie to her, planting a kiss on her cheek. "Just go! I can't take it when you're not with me!"

Callie had to smile at that. She'd been feeling the same way for weeks now. Grabbing her stuff, Callie looked over her shoulder and said "I know exactly what you mean".

Callie had never driven back to Yang's apartment so fast in her entire life. She threw open the door to the apartment and went straight to the bathroom. She gathered up her toothbrush, shampoo, and other toiletries and tossed them into a garbage bag. She snickered at the memory of Erica telling her she lived out of garbage bags for luggage. She did, and she wasn't ashamed of it. It worked for her and that was all that mattered. She grabbed her sweater off of the back of the chair in the living room and surveyed the apartment one last time, looking for any forgotten possessions. Then she grabbed her trash bags, dropped her key on the kitchen counter, and hauled her two garbage bags filled with clothes down to the trunk of her car.

As she drove back to Erica's house, Callie passed a luggage store. Suddenly a great idea hit her. She pulled into the parking lot and walked in to the store. She looked around and found a set of luggage that really matched her personality and Erica's. She ignored the 1300 price tag and paid for the luggage set. Then she drove another few blocks to a travel agency and booked a weekend trip to a spa up near Mount Rainier for the two of them. She paid for two first class tickets and the honeymoon suite. She made sure there would be champagne in the room and booked in-room massages. "Finally, having money pays off!" Callie thought. Callie hated spending the money her parents paid her each month. She preferred to earn her money, but for now she was going to make sure that she got nothing but the best for the two of them.

That's when Callie got gutsy. She called the hospital and spoke to the Chief. Not everyone gets through Patricia, the secretary to the Chief, but when Callie said it was an emergency, she was put right through to him.

"Callie, what is it?" The Chief's deep voice dripped with genuine concern.

"Oh, uh, hi Chief! What do you mean, 'what is it'?" Callie asked with what sounded to her like genuine confusion.

"Patricia said it was an emergency. Is everything all right?"

"Um, I'm sorry sir, I didn't say it was an emergency. I was actually just expecting your voicemail, sir."

"Oh, well you have me on the phone now, so here's your chance" the Chief said with a touch of both confusion and mirth.

"Here we go..." Callie thought as she formulated a lie. "Sir, I was wondering if you could tell me if Dr. Hahn has any surgeries scheduled next Friday and Monday. She sort of has this personal issue going on and I wanted to invite her on a weekend trip with me to help her out a bit. I know she won't come though, if she's got surgeries scheduled." Callie wished she sounded genuine.

"A personal issue?" At first Callie thought the Chief was being skeptical, but then she realized he was just repeating what she said. "Is everything all right? I need to know if one of my doctors needs help, Callie".

"Um, it's not really that big of a deal. Just a, uh, change in one of her, uh, friendships outside of work, that's all. I'm not really comfortable divulging too many details..." Callie was suddenly nauseous. This wasn't working out the way she planned. Silently she begged the Chief to stop asking questions and just change the schedule. It worked.

"Sure Dr. Torres. Dr Hahn has a bypass scheduled on Friday but nothing yet for the following Monday. I'll move up the bypass surgery to Thursday afternoon and block out her schedule until Tuesday. I take it you're also going to be traveling with Dr. Hahn, so I'll block out your schedule too, and put the two of you down for some personal time. Now, Dr. Torres, you'll tell me if you think this is something that is going to affect Dr. Hahn's work won't you? I can't have another Burke/Yang fiasco going on in my hospital."

Callie had to biet her tongue before she could reply to the Chief. Personal time? He didn't even realize how personal that time was going to be.

"Yes sir. I promise. Thank you, sir." Callie was ecstatic. A whole weekend away at a spa with Erica. What could be better? She couldn't wait to get to Erica's place to tell her. She just had one more stop to make. Across the street was a florist, and Callie picked up two dozen pink roses and a card. She stuffed the plane tickets and the travel brocure into the card, and wrote it out. Then she headed over to Erica's.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Standard disclaimers apply. I do not own the rights to this show. All characters and related entities belong to the owners/creators of Grey's Anatomy.

I don't write a lot, and this is my first fan fic. Let me know if it's worth my time and energy to keep going here, OK? Thanks!

Thanks for the great reviews! I'm working on making this better, so please stick with me.


	7. Baggage

**A/N:** I don't own any of the characters or entities here. It's all Shonda's and ABC's.

Lucky for you, my faithful readers, this is a long chapter. Unlucky for you, there's angst ahead and I'm not very good at writing about it. So once again, please be gentle, but I do welcome your constructive criticisms! Thanks for reading!

* * *

Erica was sitting on her front steps when Callie pulled up. She was not looking very happy, Callie thought.

"What took you so long? The day is half over!" Erica pouted, knowing she looked like a petulant child and loving the reaction that came from Callie.

"You're sexy when you pout, did you know that?" Callie asked.

Erica got up and walked over to Callie's car. She leaned in and gave Callie a very wet kiss on the lips. It wasn't the only place that Callie was starting to feel wet! As Callie kissed her back, she slid her hand down the back of Erica's jeans, giving a gentle squeeze to one of her cheeks. Erica reciprocated by tracing a line from Callie's mouth to her neck with her tongue. There she started to give feather kisses to Callie while she slid her hands down Callie's shoulders to her breasts. Callie groaned and pulled Erica closer. If she could have, she would have made love to Erica right there on the driveway. Just then, a car drove by and the guy behind the wheel honked and whistled out the window. Erica pulled her hands away and hid her face against Callie's shoulder. Callie dropped her hands to her side and looked at the ground. Were they always going to be so ashamed to show their affection to one another in public? Granted, even if they had been a man and a woman, their display just now would have been worthy of a cat call or two. But Erica's reaction said it all: they were not ready to go public with this yet. Callie was suddenly nervous. She had just booked the honeymoon suite at a spa with in-room massages and champagne for the two of them for an entire weekend. What was she thinking? What would the people at the spa think of them? Worse yet, what was Erica going to think?

"Uh, I had better unload my stuff..." Callie mumbled, her voice wavering as she fought off tears. She suddenly felt very confused. She loved Erica, she knew that. But how was she going to deal with the reactions of people she didn't know? "Oh god," Callie thought. "Who cares about the reactions of strangers? It's the reactions of the people I do know that I've got to worry about!"

Erica had felt the same way as Callie did about being seen in their embrace although she did not share it with her. She suddenly felt the need to avoid eye contact with Callie and she walked back to the trunk as a means of doing that. The first thing she saw was the luggage back there. Erica let her embarrasment and uncertainty get the better of her and she snapped at Callie. "What the hell is all of this? No wonder why I sat here for two hours. You just couldn't take a joke about living out of the garbage bags, right? So you keep me waiting here for two hours on our only day off this week so that you can go and buy luggage?"

"Uh, surprise?" Callie said uncertainly. That was definitely not the reaction she had been hoping for from Erica. Callie was pretty sure that she was on the receiving end of a face usually reserved for Cristina Yang and that cut her like a knife.

"You bought luggage?" Erica repeated. "Are you planning on going somewhere? You keep me waiting here for almost two hours so you can go buy luggage? What's with you, Torres?" Erica snapped.

"Um, what's with _you_ Erica? I bought us luggage. Us. And if you look a little further, there are roses there for you too..." Callie exclaimed, the anger building in her voice. What was Erica going to think when she also told her that she'd called the Chief, lied about a non-existant problem that Erica was having and got her the whole next weekend off? This was suddenly too much for her.

Erica picked up the roses and found the card. She suddenly felt like an ass for what she's just said to Callie. She shouldn't take her embarrasment out on her. This was new to the both of them, and Callie's reaction after the car passed indicated to Erica that she was just as scared and embarrassed as she was. Erica didn't want to be embarrassed. She wanted to shout from the top of Mount Rainier how much she loved Callie. That was just going to be easier said than done.

Erica opened the card. Inside were two plane tickets and a brochure to the spa she'd mentioned to Callie several weeks ago. How could Callie remember her mentioning this place? It was just said in passing over salad at lunch the day that they joked with Sloan about threesomes. Erica was really starting to feel badly about how she'd reacted, but once she read what Callie put in the card, her eyes really started to well up.

_I never thought I'd find a love like this._

_You're the best friend I have ever had._

_You're the best love I will ever have._

_You're worth the wait._

"Oh Callie..." Erica whispered. She put the card down and turned around, but Callie wasn't there.

Erica grabbed the card and the roses and slammed the trunk lid down. She ran into the house and called out for Callie.

"Callie?" No response.

"Cal? Are you in here?" Still no response.

"She could not have gone far," Erica thought as her frustration mounted. Why did Callie have to play hide and seek? No. Erica knew she couldn't blame this on Callie. Why did she have to act like that towards Callie? Where did that come from? Callie deserved better than the attitude she just got from her. Subconsiously Erica decided to save the 'tude for Cristina Yang and concentrate more on making Callie the happiest woman on Earth. After all, that is exactly what Callie had done for her. As Erica headed towards the back of her house, a sniffle caught her ear. She turned into the kitchen and saw Callie sitting at the kitchen table, her head in her hands, and her shoulder shaking as she silently cried.

"Callie, listen, I am so sorry. I don't know what my problem is. I was completely off-base. Thank you for the card-"

"Just. Stop. Talking." Suddenly Callie wasn't crying anymore. The sound of Erica entering the room had caused Callie's head to fly up. Callie wiped the tears and her nose with the sleeve of the shirt that Erica had lent her. Erica grimaced at the sight.

Callie's expression was a mix of sadness, confusion and anger. "I don't want you to be sorry, because I'm not crying about what you said out there. I'm crying because of how confused I am and about how angry you're going to be when I tell you what I did today. I'm crying because I don't know what's come over me and I feel like I'm on full-throttle, looping rollercoaster mood swing mode right now."

Erica's face had taken on the pursed-lip look again. Callie hated that face. She hoped that after this she'd never see it again.

"And what, exactly have you done to make me madder than I just was?" Erica tried to put some anger into that question but her voice came out all weak and wavery. She was about to burst into tears herself.

"I called the Chief this morning and told him that you were having friendship issues and you needed next weekend off. I told him I was taking you on a weekend trip because you'd had a 'change in friendship' with one of your friends and you just needed some time for yourself. He gave us both some personal time."

"What? You did what? You lied to the CHIEF?" Erica was indignant. "Callie, I swear, if he pulls me off of a single surgery because he thinks I'm having some kind of a personal problem, I will see to it that you-"

Callie didn't bother to wait for Erica to finish her threat. "I also booked us the honeymoon suite at that spa you'd told me about and ordered us in-room massages and champagne because I thought it would be a fun weekend away for the two of us."

It only took a split second for Erica to change gears. "What? Why would you book us the honeymoon suite? Are you trying to announce to the whole world that we're gay? I don't know about you, Torres, but I have a reputation as a world class surgeon. I don't need to tarnish it by showing up at some trampy motel with my lesbian lover. Have you lost your mind?"

Callie felt like she'd been slapped. "Yeah, I guess I did. I really must not have been thinking clearly because I THOUGHT THAT YOU LOVED ME!" Callie screamed. She paused and took a deep breath. Her next words were quiet and ominous: "I am not ashamed of us. I'm not even sure if what we're doing here even makes us gay. You and I both dated men before this happened. All I tried to do today was try to do something nice. I tried to take us somewhere where we could just be ourselves and have fun. So much for trying to do something special for you, Erica. We both said we didn't have to decide today who we would tell about us, but you've just made it abundantly clear that you have no intention of ever telling anyone."

Erica opened her mouth to speak but Callie held up her hand to silence her. "I'm sorry if I make you feel ashamed. I LOVE YOU. I was trying to find a way to show that love to you. Who cares if anyone else sees it? Who cares about your reputation, Erica? Your work speaks for itself. If anyone ever holds our love against you, then they're not worth your time and their opinion is also worthless."

Callie stood up. Her throat hurt from screaming. Her heart hurt more. Erica may be the world's best person at repairing sick hearts, but she also had a keen knack for smashing them to pieces. Callie kept her head held high and tried to march right past Erica and out the door. Erica stepped in front of her before she could leave the room. She didn't dare touch Callie right now. She knew that. Callie was hurting and Erica had just admitted that she was too ashamed of their affair to let anyone know. Her words poured out of her along with her tears: "Callie, wait, just wait. I- I cannot believe I just said that."

"Neither can I. What do you want from me Erica? What are we doing here?"

"Well, we're fighting. And I don't like it. And you're hurting, because of what I said just now. And I'm confused and scared and I really don't want to lose you. I told you that day in the scrub room that I don't make friends easily. Now you can see why. And since I'm being bluntly honest, I also have to say that I'm worse at relationships than I am with friendships. I'm scared of this relationship, Callie. When I am with you, in private, everything feels right. I may be the heart surgeon, but you fix my heart every time you smile at me. Waking up with you in my arms this morning was the best feeling in the world, Callie. It felt right. It felt pure and clean and safe and..." Erica's sobbing was making it difficult to understand her. She stopped for a moment to catch her breath.

Callie just stood and stared. She couldn't believe that Erica Hahn was crying. Attilla the Hahn had a soft side, apparently. Callie wanted to hold Erica right now with every fiber of her being. But she couldn't. Because if Erica didn't want to be seen by other people being held by her, then she couldn't bring herself to hold her in private, either.

Erica continued on, calmer but still crying. "I'm sorry Callie."

"You're sorry you can't let other people know that you love me? Or are you sorry that you even said you loved me in the first place?"

Erica looked like Callie had just slapped her. "I have no regrets about telling you that I love you. I meant it and I still do. I'm sorry for hurting you. I'm sorry for not keeping my mouth in check. I am sorry for even thinking what I said, and I'm sorry for ever saying it. I want to love you, publicly and privately. I will do it if you give me the chance. My only regret is how scared I am of doing this. I should know that with you by my side, I can handle anything. And I should also know that our relationship shouldn't require any handling, because it should feel like the most normal thing in the world. Please Callie, please, give me a chance. Just one chance to prove it to you. I will not let you down."

Callie couldn't help but cry. She had wanted so badly to tell Erica how much she loved her, and last night was pure magic. What the hell had gone wrong? Did it matter? Couldn't the two of them just try again? Callie started shaking her head "no" but moved in and hugged Erica. Just hugged her. The two of them sank down on to the floor and cried. Neither of them kept track of how long they were huddled down on the kitchen floor, but to Callie it felt like ages. They had stopped crying but were still holding on to one another, both of their bodies occasionally shuddering and randomly sniffling. After what seemed like an interminable amount of silence, Erica's stomach growled.

"I'm hungry too." Callie whispered. Erica giggled. Maybe they could give it another try, Callie thought.


	8. The Duffel Bag Shuffle

**A/N:** Standard disclaimer applies. I don't own Grey's Anatomy or any of it's related entities. These are just the things I wish I'd see on the television screen while I watch the show. :)

Thanks for the great reviews everyone. I'm working hard to make this better and I hope you're starting to see an improvement!

That night Callie and Erica went back to being best friends. There was no kissing and there was very little touching. For the time being, the sexual tension was gone. Callie finally went out to the car and brought in the luggage, putting it in "her" room. Erica put the roses in a vase and propped the card up on her nightstand. Callie moved her belongings into the guest room. They ordered pizza and watched cheesy romantic comedies on HBO. Erica was particularly careful with her words and it pained Callie to see her picking and choosing her phrases so carefully. They didn't talk about what went on that afternoon. A little after midnight, the two of them were too exhausted to tell what movie was even playing. Callie picked up the remote and shut off the television. She poked the lightly dozing Erica and held her hand out to her. Erica grinned and took it. They went up the stairs and stopped at the top.

"Good night, Erica." Callie said. She smiled at her and started towards the guest bedroom.

"Good night, Callie." Erica whispered. The two turned and started in their separate directions.

"Hey Callie?" Erica suddenly asked.

"Mmm?" Callie was so tired that it was hard to say more than one syllable at a time. She turned and looked at Erica with a tired smile.

"I love you." Erica smiled as she said those words.

"I know you do. I love you too. See you in the morning." Callie turned around again and walked back to the guestroom.

No. Callie thought. Not the guestroom. Her room.

Callie wasn't sure how long she had been asleep when she felt, rather than heard, the door to her room open. In the darkness, she opened one eye and saw Erica standing in the doorway, wearing just a t-shirt. She was just watching Callie sleep. Or she thought she was watching Callie sleep. After a while, Callie murmured "Are you going to stand there all night?" and Erica crawled into the bed next to her. As she arranged herself under the covers, Erica whispered "I'm exhausted, but I can't sleep". Callie rolled over and put her arms around Erica and the two of them spooned. Callie buried her face in Erica's hair and took Erica's hand in her own. She whispered "Maybe this will help". Erica never heard her though. The second Callie had put her arms around her, Erica had finally relaxed enough to drop into a deep, dreamless sleep.

The following morning, Callie's cell phone rang, waking the two women out of a very deep slumber.

"Yeah," Callie breathed into the handset.

"Dr. Torres? Are you all right? You were supposed to scrub in on a surgery at 10:00." It was Bailey calling.

Oh crap, it was Bailey!! "Oh, Dr. Bailey! I must have overslept. I am so sorry! I'll be there right away."

"Well, take your time, at this point. I had no choice but to let Sevens scrub in." Callie's face fell. Stevens? On her surgery? This day was starting to suck already.

With a note of trepidation uncommon for her, Dr. Bailey continued: "Uh, Dr. Hahn wouldn't happen to be there, would she?"

Erica had woken up to the sound of the cell phone ringing and was sitting close enough to Callie that it was possible for her to listen to both ends of the conversation. She frantically started waving her hands in a "no" motion and then finally starting mouthing "no" with an exaggerated rounding to her lips. Callie had to stifle a giggle before she answered Dr. Bailey. "Uh, no, why would she be here, Dr. Bailey?" Callie tried to infuse as much innocence into that question as possible. Even without seeing her, Callie knew that Bailey was rolling her eyes.

"No reason. Just get your ass down here, Torres!" Bailey had hung up before Callie could reply.

Callie looked at Erica. She surprised herself with what she said next. She made sure she kept her tone light and let the laughter flow a bit while she said it. "Erica, we don't have to make any decisions today. I don't want to go anywhere near where we were yesterday... but the next time someone asks me if I'm in the same place with you, I would greatly appreciate it if you could not take on the same expression as a deer caught in headlights. Last time I checked, I didn't have any embarrassing, highly-communicable diseases that you wouldn't want to catch."

Erica caught on, and the "o" her mouth was making during the silent "no" escapade softened a bit, making them the perfect shape for kissing. Callie planted a sweet kiss on Erica's lips before she could change that "o" into a smile. Pulling away from Erica, she said "Come on, we're really late!"

They both jumped out of bed and Callie jogged over to the dresser where she'd unpacked her clothes last night. Erica had left the bed, walking backwards into the hallway so that she could watch Callie. She still couldn't believe that Callie lived there now. She didn't want to miss a single moment of their time together. Callie had gotten her clothes together and twisted around to walk to the bathroom. Watching Erica walking backwards, Callie didn't see the strap from one of the duffel bags she'd bought yesterday. Her left foot got caught up in it and Callie tripped, her clothes flying forward and landing in front of her. Erica witnessed the whole thing and cracked up, her laughter covering up the snapping sound Callie's toes made.

Callie didn't find the pain in her left toes amusing at all. She rolled over and grabbed her foot, screeching with pain. That was not a smart thing to do, as grabbing it made her toes feel even worse. Erica realized what happened and stopped laughing immediately. She ran back to Callie and started to help her up. "No, don't, Erica." Callie grimaced. "Just go get some tape, OK? Tape and an ace bandage if you have it. The last two toes are definitely broken and I want to tape them up before I try to stand."

For the next few minutes the two women worked as doctors and friends. Callie needed Erica to tape up her toes for her. Erica needed Callie to give her a little guidance, as Orthopedics were definitely Callie's strong point. Erica wanted to take Callie in to the hospital for an x-ray, but Callie assured her that it was just the two toes that were broken and even if there was another orthopedist there, the most that they could do for her would be to tape up the toes. "They'll hurt for a few days, but they'll be fine." Callie said as Erica finally helped her up. "I won't even need crutches, see?" Callie said as she stood up and steadied herself.

"Is there anything else I can do?" Erica asked.

"Yeah. Let's put that luggage away. It's dangerous!" At first, both women laughed at the pun. Then the fight from yesterday popped back into their collective thoughts and the two both grabbed a piece of luggage in each of their hands and tossed them into the closet, slamming the door shut as if they were locking away a monster that may jump out and hurt them if they didn't get the door fastened quickly enough. Erica helped Callie to the bathroom and put a plastic bag over Callie's foot so that way she could shower and not get the tape on her toes wet. She then went to her own bathroom and showered and dressed.

They left for the hospital once again but made sure that they didn't walk in together. Callie recommended that Erica walk in first, as it would take her longer to get in due to her new injury. Erica refused at first, saying that she would not leave Callie to hobble in on her own. Callie reminded Erica that they were both late, and that if they were going to keep their relationship under wraps for a while longer, it would look better if they didn't walk in late together. Finally Erica gave in. Callie said she'd see her at lunch, if Bailey didn't kill her before then. Erica smiled, looked around, and when she saw no one she knew, she blew Callie a kiss.

Dr. Bailey was waiting for Callie when she limped in. "What happened to you?" She asked.

"I tripped and broke two of my toes." Callie replied.

"How did you do that?" Bailey asked. The question was innocent enough but it struck fear into Callie. She couldn't very well say that she and Erica had overslept because they were sleeping together and that she tripped and fell while running out of the room to get to work. No, that would not be a very good thing to do right now.

"Uh, well, I, uh, tripped over a duffel bag." Callie replied vaguely.

"Well, watch your step, Torres. I can't have the walking wounded treating the walking wounded around here!" Bailey laughed at her own joke and all Callie could do was smile.

"I'm sorry I was late Dr. Bailey. My foot should be fine. I'm going to do rounds now, if that's OK with you." Callie didn't even wait for a reply. Callie did not like lying to people or making up stories. It made her feel sick and dirty. Keeping this secret was going to be torture!

Later that afternoon, Callie and Erica met for lunch. Callie was sitting on one chair and had her foot propped up on the chair across from her. Erica sat down next to Callie and they both grinned at their salads. Wasn't it just a few days ago that they'd joked with Mark Sloan over sapphic salads? Oh, if they only knew then where that would go... It was then that Callie remembered that she had to talk to Mark about keeping their relationship under wraps for now. The sooner she told him, the better off they would all be.

Minutes later, George walked by. He was still afraid of Callie. He should be, after he cheated on her. Callie did notice, however, that her anger towards George was getting smaller by the day. It had been shrinking like that since the day Callie and Erica had become friends. When George circled by their table once more, Erica finally took notice and asked him what he wanted. He was clearly uncomfortable. Then again, George almost always looked like he was uncomfortable. "Uh, Dr. Hahn, I'm sorry to interrupt your lunch. The, ah, the Chief asked me to ask you to see him sometime this afternoon."

"Did he say what it was in regards to?" Erica asked. Callie had told Erica all about her relationship with George. Secretly, Erica liked that he was uncomfortable speaking to her with Callie around. Erica had promised herself to protect Callie with her love. George was definitely one thing from which Erica could protect Callie.

"No Dr. Hahn, he did not, I'm sorry." George lingered just enough to be annoying, and Erica was about to tell him where to go when George blurted "Uh, Cal- I mean Dr. Torres-" it was so hard for him to go back to calling Callie 'Dr. Torres'. They had after all been married, even if it was miserable for the two of them. "I was just wondering, is your foot OK?"

The old Callie would have just told George to take a hike. Erica looked like she was about to do exactly that. Instead, Callie replied to him, civilly. "I broke some toes, George."

George seemed encouraged by Callie's reply and he asked "Oh, how did you do that?"

"Duffel Bag," Callie said while Erica simultaneously replied "Sunrise Yoga".

George just looked confused. Callie felt like she was drowning. Too many lies... too much to remember! She gathered her wits about her and said "I tripped over my own duffel bag while I was leaving my sunrise yoga class".

Erica noticed the strain on Callie's face and finally decided she'd had enough of George O'Malley that day. "Is there anything else, Dr. O'Malley?"

"Oh, um, no ma'am." George's face flushed and he walked away.

"It looks like we need to work on getting our stories straight," Erica stated matter-of-factly. She wasn't just talking about Callie's toes. She was talking about the Chief and what Callie had said to him.

"I just told him that you'd had an issue come up with a friend, and that I thought you could use some time off to get away for a few days. I was totally non-specific. And I did make it clear to him that you were okay and that I didn't think this would affect your work in any way." Callie's eyes were downcast. Erica could tell that she was still upset by their fight yesterday.

"Okay. Sounds good to me. By the way, we need to go shopping for some spa clothes tonight after work, Callie." Erica grinned at her before she got up. She longed to kiss her, but refrained from it. Instead, she grasped Callie's hand under the table and gave it a squeeze.

Callie beamed at her. "You still want to go?"

"Of course I do. I'm sorry about yesterday Callie, I really am. We can talk about it more tonight, while we shop, if you want. I really do want to take this trip with you. I love you, Callie, and I'm going to work on getting to the point where I don't care who knows about it. We just have to take it slow, OK?"

"Absolutely. Although the lying and the concealment seems to be eating at me, I'm no more ready to announce anything than you are."

Erica stood. "The Chief awaits me."

"Good luck! I have a surgery this afternoon so text me to let me know what goes on, OK?"

Erica left and Mark quickly took Erica's seat next to Callie. Callie groaned.

"So, you and Hahn got a little too wild with each other and you broke some bones, huh?" Mark asked with his dirty pretty man whore face on.

"Mark, I really need to talk to you. You have got to stop mentioning my relationship to Erica here at work. We're not ready to tell people about us yet."

Mark raised his eyebrows. "Doesn't sound like a healthy secret to keep, does it Callie?"

Great. The dirty pretty man whore was giving her relationship advice now. "Mark, we're going to tell people. I swear that we are. But this is new and confusing for the two of us and we'd just prefer it if you could keep it under wraps for a while. Please don't make jokes about it, especially around Cristina. She's trying to blackmail us but so far we've been able to keep her from confirming her suspicions. Can you please just give us a little more time before you open that mouth of yours?" Callie tried not to sound like she was begging. She wasn't sure if she'd accomplished that.

Mark stood up. He smiled at her. At first he looked as if he was going to announce to the whole cafeteria that Callie Torres and Erica Hahn were now a couple. Instead, he took her hand, and said "I'm growing. I promise to be more mature than that. But you two seriously need to get out of the closet. It can't be healthy for your relationship to keep this a secret. But I promise you I will not be the one who tells that secret to anyone."

Callie had never been so proud of Mark. He really was turning over a new leaf. She thanked him and he walked away, feeling pretty good about himself for the first time in a while.


	9. The Ressurection of Walter Tapley

**A/N:** Standard disclaimers apply. I do not own Grey's Anatomy or any of it's related entities.

Oh, another attempt at angst! Will it work? Let me know! :)

* * *

Right about the time that Callie was tossing her garbage out in the cafeteria and hobbling towards her next surgery, Erica was approaching the door to the Chief's office with her thoughts racing. What was she going to tell the Chief? What kind of story could she concoct about a 'change in friendship' as Callie had put it? Patricia greeted Erica and opened the door for her before she could settle on any kind of story. Callie was right, the lying was a lot to handle. Erica suddenly thought to herself that she didn't want to be known as a liar.

The Chief stood and shook Erica's hand and they both sat down. If he noticed the preoccupied look on Erica's face, he didn't show it. Instead, he got right down to business.

"I just wanted to let you know, in person, that Walter Tapley is coming back." The Chief said.

"Tapley's coming back?" Erica started to panic, but wouldn't let the Chief see it. She hadn't wanted to perform that surgery. It was too risky and she didn't want to become known as the surgeon who killed the father of cardio-thoracic surgery.

Despite how well Erica was doing to conceal her panic, the Chief knew her well enough to see that his single phrase was starting to turn the wheels in Erica's head. "She's probably worried about a leaky valve" the Chief thought. "Yes, he needs another post-op check up, Erica. And as the surgeon who performed so brilliantly to save his life, I'm asking you to do it." The Chief was grinning.

"Wait, so there's nothing wrong with him?" Erica asked.

"Not so far as I know. Says he feels great. He'd like to go back to work soon, from what he tells me."

Despite her best efforts to keep a poker face, Erica was visibly relieved.

"He also told me something else Erica, and that's the real reason why I asked you in here today. He wants you on his staff over at Mercy. He's been hinting at it every time I've spoken to him since he was discharged."

Six months ago, Erica would have jumped up, shook the Chief's hand and thanked him for the nice time she'd had slicing open hearts on his operating table as she flew out the door towards Mercy Hospital. But that was six months ago. Six months ago she hadn't gotten to know Callie. Six months ago she hadn't a clue as to what would await her here. Six months ago, her career was all that mattered to her. Now things were different.

The Chief interrupted her thoughts. "I know it sounds tempting to take a position with him, but I'm asking you to stay here. You can believe me when I tell you that while Walter Tapley is the father of cardio-thoracic surgery, he's not exactly the easiest man to work for. And you would be working for him. I'd like to think that here, you're in charge of cardio and, with one minor exception, you're doing quite well handling it."

Erica knew what the one minor exception was. Yang. Cristina Yang was another reason for her to consider taking the position with Tapley over at Mercy, but she quickly pushed the thought out of her head because the Chief was still talking.

"Of course, if you'd like to go, you'd get a glowing recommendation from me. And I don't need to know right away what you plan to do. Tapley hasn't even officially asked you yet so you've got plenty of time to make up your mind. He's coming in next Wednesday at ten o'clock, so please make sure your schedule is clear." With that, the Chief stood up and walked Erica out the door. She hadn't said a word, and she was suddenly more confused than she had been when she started out the day.

Erica had no surgeries scheduled that afternoon, and barring any traumas that came in, she was free to do as she pleased. Being the best in her field meant that Erica spent a great deal of time doing research and paperwork in addition to surgery and regular patient care. Normally she'd just head over to her office and get started on some of the more mundane parts of her job. However, at this point she felt like doing none of that. Instead, she sat in the gallery above a vacant OR and tried to sort through the hundreds of thoughts floating around in her head. Erica never knew it was possible to be elated and devastated at the same time.

"Tapley wants me to work with him. Not Burke, he wants me." Erica said out loud to no one in particular. Erica Hahn hated Preston Burke more than she hated anything else on this Earth. She also had a grudging respect for the man, but that respect was continually diminished every time she read another article about him in JAMA. As much as Erica disliked Cristina Yang and her persistent brown-nosing, she could tell that Yang was gifted and worked hard. The fact that Burke left her at the alter and completely forgot about the help Cristina had given him in his time of need was not lost on Erica. Erica disliked people who could forget the help of others so quickly. Taking this position with Walter Tapley could be the best thing that ever happened to her. It would be the ultimate kick in Preston Burke's ass. The thought of it made Erica smile.

And speaking of Yang, she'd no longer have to teach her. Not that she had been teaching her, really, but she wouldn't have to start. Erica had long ago admitted to herself that she hated Cristina Yang simply due to her association with Preston Burke. Erica knew this was wrong, but she had so many other demons to fight at the time, so she did what came naturally to her when it came to Yang. She just froze her out, like she froze out everyone else. Freezing out Yang let Erica concentrate on Callie and the feelings that kept bubbling up inside of her everytime she thought of the brunette. Erica had tried to freeze her out too, until she realized that she'd be missing out on a terrific friendship if she did. Erica smiled at how easily Callie had been able to thaw her way through to Erica. Erica realized that even if she had continued trying to distance herself from Callie, Callie would have still made her way into her heart. Just thinking of Callie warmed Erica.

Callie. Oh Callie. How easy would it be to go over to Mercy and not hide her relationship with Callie? They'd spend less time worrying about their secret coming out because they wouldn't have to face their coworkers and deal with the questions, the misconceptions and the rumors. When their secret finally did come out, Erica would be less likely to worry about her reputation if she was working for the greatest cardio-thoracic surgeon of all time. No one could touch her if she was working with him. Her new colleagues would just think she'd always been in love with another woman.

But that wasn't fair, was it? Callie would still be here. And she'd be here alone. At least together, when they made their relationship public, they'd have each other to rely on. Erica wasn't the optimist that Callie was. She knew there'd be taunts, threats, and snide remarks. Erica also knew that Callie was a grown woman who could stand up for herself... but the thought of leaving Callie to fend for herself while she got away virtually scott-free was completely unbearable. It wouldn't be fair to Callie, and Erica couldn't bring herself to do that to her, no matter how easy the transition would be for her.

Thoughts of leaving circled through Erica's head for close to an hour. For every reason not to leave, Erica thought of at least two that made her want to go. Walter Tapley wanted her. This was her chance to become the surgeon she always wanted to be. Walter Tapley was no spring chicken, and she knew that fixing his heart this time around was like placing a patch on the titanic. Sooner or later, Walter Tapley was going to retire. If she became his right hand, that would mean that she, Erica Hahn, could become the mother of cardio-thoracic surgery. The respect and prestige that a position like that could offer her was so tempting. Too tempting. Despite what the Chief had said about Walter Tapley not being easy to work for, she knew she could hold her own with him.

Then again, Walter Tapley was a devout Catholic. He went in to surgery wearing a gold crucifix around his neck. Erica had removed it prior to the surgery, snapping at the nurses that it was unsanitary to allow him into the operating theater while he was wearing it. The nurses protested weakly that it was Walter Tapley and he had insisted. Erica had been angry at Walter not so much because he should have known better, but because she had a hard time dealing with devoutly religious people. There was no way that Erica was going to stare at a crucifix while thoughts of Callie raced through her head. Erica was not religious. She believed in science and medicine. But she didn't need any omens and she needed to concentrate. She told herself that she wore Callie around her neck the way Walter wore his crucifix, and when she removed the crucifix she removed Callie from her thoughts for the time being. She replaced the charm after the surgery was done, and she was pretty sure that Walter was none the wiser. Erica felt empty after that because she didn't like not thinking about Callie. She lived Callie, breathed Callie and, after last two nights, slept wrapped in Callie's arms. How could she consider going to work for a man with a predisposed religious intolerance of her and what she'd become over the past few days? There was no way that she could come out while working for Walter Tapley. She'd been stupid to consider it. That would mean she'd have to keep Callie a secret, something she'd promised Callie she would not do.

Erica wished she'd never done the surgery. She hadn't wanted to do it to begin with and she was uncharacteristically surprised when Tapley had survived it. The happy ending was over though. Walter Tapley's surgery was coming back to haunt her. Now either her career or her reputation were somehow at stake.

Callie's words during their argument floated through her head, and they still stung as much as they did the day they argued. "Who cares about your reputation, Erica? Your work speaks for itself. If anyone ever holds our love against you, then they're not worth your time and their opinion is also worthless." Callie had been right when she said that, but Erica knew, she knew, that in the big boys club of cardio-thoracic surgery, her relationship with Callie was going to hurt her in the end. She'd already spent years fighting through barriers put up by her male colleagues. She'd broken through the glass ceiling just to have prestigious awards that she was more than qualified for go to people like Preston Burke. She'd been overlooked for cushy jobs at major hospitals on the east coast because she was a woman. There had been times, early in her career, that Erica Hahn had actually regretted not having a penis. The thought of that regret now made Erica laugh. She never wanted to be a man, but it still seemed to have its perks when it came to the world of cardio-thoracic surgery.

Erica recalled the time that she'd been called a lesbian by a pissed-off doctor who had been unable to contain his jealousy over her skills. That was a knee-jerk reaction for many men who'd been intimidated by Erica's proficiency in the operating room, whether they were her colleagues, her enemies, or even some of her jilted boyfriends. Sooner or later, she was going to have to prove them right about that assumption even though it hadn't been true at the time.

Suddenly a voice in the back of Erica's head told her something she hadn't been expecting to hear. It told her that nothing in the world mattered as much as Callie Torres mattered to her her now. And if her career suffered for it, so be it. She could almost hear Callie telling her that she's at the top of her game and she need not worry about what others thought of her. Six months ago Erica Hahn would have laughed at someone telling her that. Now she was sure it was true, but somehow it didn't completely quell the sense of loss Erica was feeling. Erica she was shaking with fear over what it would cost her to publicly profess her love for Callie. Erica admitted to herself that while Callie had suddenly taken over the number one spot in her life's priorities, her career was still a close second and it was fighting like mad to regain it's former position at the top.

Erica looked down at her watch. Callie's surgery was scheduled to be finished in another 15 minutes. Erica decided to go and watch her from the gallery, her mind made up.


	10. Short Lived Secrets

**A/N:** Sorry so short! I wasn't sure where to end this chapter and start the next one, so I cut this one a little shorter than usual. There's more to come though, so stay tuned! :)

PS- I don't own Grey's Anatomy. Blah blah blah blah blah.

Callie had been wondering what had taken so long in the Chief's office by the time Erica appeared in the gallery above the operating room. She was really starting to worry that the Chief would give her a hard time about a problem that really didn't exist. The longer her cell phone remained silent, the sicker with worry Callie got. Erica was supposed to text her when she got out. There were no texts, but suddenly there was Erica. Callie beamed up at her from under her mask and Erica forced a smile back down to her. Callie could easily tell that something was wrong with Erica. She handed the intern next to her the suture needle and gave him instructions on how to close up the patient. She watched him for another 30 seconds and could see that he was already an expert at matters relating to sutures. She told the nurse and the intern to finish up, and she walked out of the OR to scrub out.

Erica knew that Callie could tell something was wrong because the smile fell from her face the second she saw the Erica's forced expression. As she walked down from the gallery to the scrub room, Erica knew she'd have to own up to her melancholy. Part of her way dying to tell Callie about the opportunity that had come up. She needed advice and encouragement. Callie was, first and foremost, her best friend and that was the kind of news that anyone would race over to tell their best friend. But the fact that Callie had now become more than her best friend was something that kept her from blurting out her news. This news was a double-edged sword and there was no way that Erica was going to go over the pros and cons of this opportunity with Callie if it would risk hurting her.

"What happened?" Callie asked in a low voice as Erica leaned against the scrub sink to watch Callie scrub out. There were two interns and another resident in the scrub room, excitedly gearing up to scrub in on a surgery in an adjacent OR. Erica paused while they scrubbed and waved to the sensor on the door to be let in to the OR. While she waited, all Erica wanted to do was lean over, rip off the scrub cap from Callie's head and twist her fingers into Callie's dark locks while she planted a kiss on Callie's delicious lips. Little did Erica know, that Mark Sloan had asked Callie once if she wanted to do the very same thing to her. Instead, Erica watched the interns while Callie continued washing her hands.

"Well?" Callie asked when the rest of the group had left.

"He called me in to talk to me about Walter Tapley." Erica decided that concealing some of the truth would be better than formulating a total lie. She'd forgotten that Callie could read her mind.

"Really? That bigwig cardio doctor who was a lost cause and you saved him?" Callie asked.

"The very one." Erica left it at that. She wanted Callie to ask the questions here. She couldn't risk telling Callie anything at this point. The two of them didn't even know where they stood right now. What would happen to their relationship if Erica suddenly announced that she was going over to work at Mercy for a man who would treat her like crap to begin with and hate her if she let out her secret?

"What's up with that? He want to hire you or something?" Callie was joking but the smile slid off of her face as soon as she saw Erica's reaction. Erica had tried to laugh along with her, but the blue of her eyes changed subtly and gave her away. She looked away from Callie because she just didn't have it in her to face what came next.

"Wait, Erica, does he want to hire you? Seriously?" Callie asked again.

Erica cursed herself silently while her thoughts raced. She could go in and tell a patient's family that their loved one had coded on the table without batting an eyelash, even though she took every loss personally and wanted to cry right along with them. She could order around interns to scare them into shape while all the while knowing that she was once in their shoes. But with Callie, there was no hiding her emotions. Callie knew her too well. She had opened herself up to Callie and now Callie could see all of her secrets long before Erica ever wished to divulge them.

"Erica?"

Erica looked up, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. She took Callie's hand in her own and gazed deeply into those deep brown eyes. She allowed herself to get lost in them for a moment before she whispered "yes".


	11. Hold My Hand

**A/N:** Grey's Anatomy is the property of ABC and Shonda Rhimes.

This is another short chapter, and I'm sorry. I'm building up to something good though, so stick with me if you can! :)

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"Oh my God! Erica! The 'founding father of cardio-thoracic surgery' wants to hire you?!" Callie was exuberant. It definitely was not the response that Erica was expecting. Frankly, Erica had been hoping that Callie would just beg her to stay at Seattle Grace, she'd consent and that'd be it. Life was never that easy. Erica knew she should be thrilled that Callie was encouraging her, but the weight of her decision kept the corners of her mouth from turning up into a smile.

"What are you going to do?" she asked, a little calmer than before.

"I don't know, Cal. There are so many reasons for me to go over there, but there are a lot of reasons for me to stay here, too." It was beginning to dawn on Callie that Erica was not as thrilled about this prospect as she should have been.

"Did I miss something here, Hahn? You've just been invited to work for the god of cardio, and you're not jumping up and down about it?" Callie said with a mischievous grin. It had been a while since she'd referred to Erica by her last name. She found herself wondering when exactly they'd dropped their casual attempts at informality and started using each other's names intimately. The question in her mind disappeared when she suddenly realized that Erica was crying.

"Whoa, Erica, I'm sorry, what'd I do?" Callie asked, pulling Erica towards her and grabbing a tissue from container over the sink. "Please tell me, what is it?"

Erica was sobbing without making a sound. She had placed her arms around Callie's waist and was resting her forehead on Callie's shoulder. Her whole body was trembling. At one time, Erica muttered "Not god. Don't bring him into this." Callie couldn't understand what was going on, and was apologizing profusely.

"Erica, I'm so sorry, please, tell me what's wrong? What did I do? How can I make it better?" Callie realized that she was using the same tone a mother would use on a four-year-old and she stopped. Erica would not appreciate being patronized. Instead, Callie just wrapped her arms around Erica's neck and held her close. She whispered "I'm here, tell me what is hurting you. I can't help you unless you tell me what's upset you so much."

Erica continued to sob silently, but the wracking of her shoulders started to subside. The fact that Erica could cry without making a sound scared Callie. How often had Erica cried, that she'd mastered the method of doing it without anyone hearing? What had happened to her that she wouldn't let other people hear her cry?

Soon Erica pulled her forehead away from Callie's shoulder and stepped back. Callie's face was the portrait of concern when she handed Erica the tissue she'd been holding. Erica blew her nose and then, like the good doctor that she was, washed her hands. It gave her the chance to avoid the look on Callie's face. The tears however, were still rolling down her cheeks, and Callie stepped up to the sink, turned Erica's face towards hers, and wiped the first few tears away with her thumbs. The rest, she used her lips to kiss away.

"Stop, please-" Erica sniffled and backed away. "Someone will see us."

Callie was too concerned to show Erica how hurt she was by that gesture, but the tone came across anyway when she said "Sorry" and it came out tinged with sarcasm and anger. Immediately, regret for the tone she'd used flashed across Callie's face and she started to apologize for it. Erica, knowing what she'd done and what she'd just made Callie feel like, waved the apology aside before Callie even said anything.

"Callie, I promised you there would come a time when we wouldn't have to hide from this, and we wouldn't have to keep it a secret anymore. I intend to keep that promise. There are going to be times though, when I don't know what to do, or what to say, or how not to hide what I feel about you from others around us. I didn't mean to push you away just now. I'm going to work on that, OK?"

Callie nodded. Erica had kept every other promise she'd made in the past. Callie knew she wouldn't let her down about this one either. It was just going to take a while, and Callie was fine to stick around for the ride. That solved one problem, but not the more recent one. Callie waited a moment, trying to read Erica's face and give her the opportunity to speak up herself before she finally asked "But what's the problem Erica? Why are you not jumping for joy? Your career is about to get better than it ever was, and it's pretty damn great to begin with!"

Erica smiled. Prior to meeting Callie, Erica had secretly lived for praise even if she'd always acted like she didn't need it. Erica had lived for praise from her professors in medical school. Praise from the attendings when she was an intern or resident. Praise from her patients and their families. Praise from the Chief of surgery. Now, all she lived for was praise from Callie. Secretly she resolved to never, ever lose the confidence Callie had in her. It was too precious. And because of that confidence, she knew at that moment that she could never take the job with Walter Tapley. Life and love with Callie was going to be far better than any prestige a job could afford her. Suddenly Erica was so sure of where she wanted to be, what she wanted to do, and who she wanted to do it with. She was delighted and shocked to finally feel the same confidence she felt in the operating room about her relationship with Callie. She could do this, and Callie was going to be there to help.

Erica pulled herself up straight and turned to face Callie. "Screw Walter Tapley." Erica said, drawing in a deep breath and pushing her hair out of her face. "Let's go shopping for what we'll need for the spa this weekend, and I'll tell you everything over dinner." Callie tried her best to conceal her surprise at the sudden change in Erica's disposition, but when Erica took her hand and laced her fingers through Callie's, she couldn't hide the shock any more. They walked out of the scrub room together, hand in hand, and Callie grinned like a kid in a toy store.


	12. Building Trust the Dirty Way

**A/N:** Grey's Anatomy and all related entities are the property of ABC and Shonda Rhimes.

This chapter is definitely rated M for a reason. That being said, keep in mind that this is my first fan fic. It's also my first femslash... and sometimes what's in my imagination is not so easy to put into words. I did my best though. I'm genuinely terrified at how well this will go over. I've written and re-written this scene over and over again, and I hope you'll like it. If you don't like it, I'd appreciate simple politeness when you tell me.

* * *

The walk from the scrub room to the resident's lounge was no more than 100 yards, but to Callie, it felt like an eternity. Not that she wasn't thoroughly enjoying the feeling of walking hand and hand with Erica through the halls of the hospital, but the stares were starting to get to her a bit. Erica, meanwhile, had her blue-eyed laser beams set to stun and she used them on anyone who looked at them the wrong way. There were surprisingly few people they knew lingering in the halls at that time of day, and those people that were there were too busy to even notice what they were doing. Most of the doctors the two knew had already gone home, and others were likely still in surgery or doing rounds. The only exception was Mark Sloan, who passed them coming out of the resident's lounge. He gave them a tiny thumbs-up sign. Callie raised an eyebrow. "What was he doing in there?" Callie asked.

"Maybe he's moved on, because he knows you're taken" Erica whispered into Callie's ear. "Are you jealous?"

Callie laughed. "No, never. What I have with you is a hundred times better than what I ever had with him. Maybe he's just jealous of us... picturing all of the naughty, naughty things we've done together... and all the devilishly good things I can't wait to do to you when we get home." Callie breathed those final words into Erica's ear and Erica had to pull herself away slightly before she swooned.

Once inside the lounge, Erica pecked Callie on the cheek and said "Calm yourself. We've still got shopping to do!" Erica said it to herself as much as she was saying it to Callie. Part of her was just happy to not think about Walter Tapley and his the big boys club that she could never join. Part of her was secretly enjoying watching Callie squirm under her gaze. After all of the emotion in the past few days, nothing would feel better than to just snuggle with Callie. Or maybe a little more than just snuggle. Callie's voice brought Erica out of the vivid fantasy that was suddenly playing in her head.

"Do we really have to shop? Can't we just go home?" Callie was whining. It wasn't attractive, but it made Erica laugh.

"There will be plenty of time for fun and games later. Right now I need a bathing suit, some slippers, and... something sexy to wear to bed at the spa." Erica's voice had gotten deep and as she spoke, she was moving her gaze from Callie's chest up to her eyes. When Erica said "sexy", Callie felt a tingling go through her suddenly. It stared at her very center of being and spread to all of her extremities.

"Oh hell," Callie thought. "That woman can get me off just by speaking. But she's not getting away with not telling me what upset her so much. I need her to be able to open up to me and trust me." Slowly, a plan was forming in Callie's head. Callie was a bit shocked at what she wanted to do, but knew the likelyhood of having another opportunity like this would be rare at best.

Callie started changing out of her scrubs while Erica got comfortable on the bench behind Callie's locker. It amused Callie that Erica could love her so much, yet have so much control over herself while she watched Callie get changed. Had it been the other way around, Callie would have been all over Erica by now. Callie took off her scrub top while she worked up her courage. She turned her back to Erica and started writhing to a musical beat only she could hear. Callie slowly started inching her tank top up, over her head. She swayed her hips just so and threw back her head so that her hair hung just over the top of her pants as the tank top dropped from her hands and landed at Erica's feet. Next, she undid the knot holding up her scrub pants. When the knot loosened enough, Callie lowered the pants with a slowness that was painful until they rested around her ankles. She slid her hands back up the front of her body and gave each of her breasts a tiny squeeze through her bra. Then she moved her hands around her own body, unhooked her bra, and just let it slowly fall forward. She stepped out of the cloth puddle that her pants bra had created and took one step towards Erica. Erica was sitting in front of her on the bench, watching intently and enjoying the show. Wearing just her underwear, Callie turned to Erica and knelt in front of her. She leaned upward and kissed Erica softly, letting her tounge dance with Erica's for a brief moment.

"I love you" she whispered, her eyes glued to Erica's. Then Callie pulled away and stood back up, walking around the bench to behind Erica. She bent over and slid her bare chest against Erica's back, slowly downward and then even slower back up. As she stood back up, she painstakingly kissed the nape of Erica's neck, letting her hands dawdle down the front of Erica's shirt, squeezing and flicking the very erect nipples that were trying their best to poke through Erica's bra. Callie loved the feeling of Erica's pulse against her lips as she continued to nibble at the spot just below Erica's earlobe. She slowly sucked and licked, and once again moved both of her hands down the front of Erica's shirt, stopping at the top of Erica's pants. So far, Erica had not moved a muscle and remained completely silent, but her breathing had sped up considerably. Callie took this as a good sign and slid her hands into the top of Erica's pants. Before she making another move, Callie whispered "Do you trust me, Erica?"

Callie peeked around Erica's head from the back to see Erica's face. Erica's cheeks were flushed and she was trembling as she breathed out a raspy "yes". Leaning over Erica like this, she could see that Erica's eyes had opened to the size of saucers but she still hadn't tried to move away. Callie planted a soft kiss on the side of Erica's mouth and whispered into her ear again. "I don't know what hurt you today, but I want to take that pain away. Will you let me take the pain away, Erica?"

Erica swallowed hard. She wasn't sure where this was going. They were in a locker room, for crying out loud. Anyone could walk in. Anyone could see them. Despite the objections screaming through her head, Erica's nerves at the center of her being got the better of her. She just sighed and said "yes" again.

Callie then allowed her right hand to fall further inside of Erica's pants. She pushed one, then two fingers of her into Erica's underwear. Her left hand had somehow found it's way back up to Erica's breast t and was fondling it hrough her shirt. Callie continued to bend and moved her kisses the back of Erica's neck. She couldn't see what Erica was wearing beneath her pants, but the underwear felt lacy and quite thin. There was no mistaking the moisture that had gathered there.

Erica had kept both hands on the bench, calmly watching Callie strip for her. It wasn't until Callie's hands had made it into her pants that she had to grip the edge of the bench and hold on tight. Callie started to explore with her nimble fingers, and soon she found the spot she was looking for. She flicked the very erect clitoris with one finger and heared Erica breath in sharply. She did it again. Erica responded this time by sliding forward slightly on the bench and moaning. Callie needed no further encouragement. She started to please Erica the same way she would have pleased herself. She dipped her fingers down further and felt the silky wetness that was steadily accumulating. She then glided her fingers into Erica and explored for a moment. When Erica moved herself forward again, Callie knew she had to be right on target. She kept her fingers inside of Erica and used her thumb to continue working slowly over Erica's clit, alternately flicking and rubbing, and making good use of the juices that continued to flow there.

Erica couldn't believe what she was doing, or rather, what she was allowing to be done to her. She didn't feel dirty. She didn't feel ashamed. She felt damn good, and started to let her inhibitions go. It wasn't long before her breathing became raspy and rapid. Erica leaned back into Callie and Callie remained bent over Erica, holding her steady. Callie could tell that Erica was doing everything she could to stay as quiet as possible, but there were several barely audible moans that escaped from her. Callie knew it would not be long now. "Come, Erica." Callie whispered. She began pumping her fingers and slightly increased the pressure of her thumb. "Come for me, honey," Callie whispered again.

By now, Erica had pushed herself up off of the bench a few inches and was starting to grind her hips into Callie's hand with increasing intensity. Callie's breath on her ear as she whispered to her was sending her over the edge. She felt the waves building up and she wanted to scream, but Callie sensed this and kissed her mouth forcefully, stifling any sound that could be heard beyond the two of them.

Callie could feel the climax building inside of Erica and was about to thrust her hand in a bit harder when they both heard the door to the lounge fly open and slam against the wall. In one movement, Callie pulled her hand from Erica and literally jumped over the bench to back in front of her locker. Erica, who had been half standing to begin with, stood up and moved to the end of the row of lockers, keeping her back to Callie.

The resident who came in must have been too busy giving the blond attending the death glare for being in _his_ lounge to notice Erica's flushed red cheeks, shaking hands or her heavy breathing. Callie was, for the time being, sufficiently hidden by the row of lockers she was changing behind. Erica just stood there, pretending to be engrossed by the set of lockers across the way, while the resident took what felt like forever to gather up his things and walk back out. By the time he was gone, Callie had dressed in her street clothes and had her purse over her shoulder. She walked up to Erica and and looked at her wistfully. "So close," Erica whispered, "So close."

"Do you mean the orgasm you were just denied, or the fact that they were almost just caught in the act?" Callie asked playfully as Erica pulled her in for a kiss. She was just relieved that Erica wasn't hopping mad about almost being caught. Even Callie had to step back and ask herself just what the heck she had been thinking when she started that. The pair separated and walked out of the resident's lounge. As soon as Erica caught Callie's eye, the two started to laugh. Their laughter was nervous and high-pitched, but it was laughter none-the-less. As they approached the attending's lounge, the two were a bit more careful. They did not loop their fingers together as they walked, though they both knew they had their hearts firmly intertwined with one another. As Erica held the door for Callie to come in to the lounge behind her, Callie just shook her head. "I can't trust myself to keep my hands off of you." She whispered as an excuse. Erica just raised an eyebrow and shrugged a bit before going in.

As Erica gathered her things, she was happy to be alone for the moment. She needed to calm down. She needed to clear her head. She needed to erase the disappointment of her thwarted climax from her mind. She needed to ask Callie where she learned to do all of that. She smiled, because she needed to get out of there and back into Callie's arms as fast as she could.


	13. Relevations

By the time Erica rejoined Callie in the hallway, the two were both a bit more relaxed about what had happened. They decided to go shopping as they had originally planned. Of course, it took them nearly 20 mintues to get into the mall from the parking lot because they were too busy fogging up the windows in Erica's car, but in the end they did go shopping. They first looked for bathing suits. Callie hated shopping for clothes, and bathing suits were to Callie what Cristina Yang was to Erica. But when Erica showed her a beautiful brown tankini with little yellow and orange accents, she agreed to try it on. When Callie stepped out of the dressing room to show Erica, Erica's breath caught in her throat. Callie looked ravishing. The brown of the suit was a perfect match to the brown of Callie's eyes. The top of the suit tied in a knot around Callie's neck and the suit rested perfectly on the curves of her body. Callie found herself feeling increasingly self-conscious the longer it took Erica to say anything about what she was wearing. Mistaking Erica's silence for disapproval, Callie let her eyes fall to the floor and started to back in to the dressing room to take off the suit. Catching herself, Erica exhaled "wow". Callie heard this and blushed. Erica stepped over to near the door mirror where Callie was standing and asked her to wait. She helped to adjust the back of the suit and fixed the knot at the back of Callie's neck. After she did, she let the fingers of her left hand linger on the nape of Callie's neck before moving her right hand down around Callie's waist. Erica leaned forward and placed her head on Callie's shoulder.

"Callie, you look perfect in this suit." Erica breathed those words into Callie's ear. The two looked at each other in the mirror, and Callie lifted one hand to rest on her shoulder with Erica's hand. "We look perfect" Callie whispered as she gazed into Erica's reflection.

They spent the next hour looking around and finding what they needed while they'd be away. While Erica was paying for the swimsuit (she'd insisted), Callie said that she needed to use the restroom. Erica made good use of Callie's brief departure as soon as she was done paying. Unbeknownst to Callie, Erica had been surfing various lingerie sites on the net. She really wanted to find something beautiful for the two of them to wear their first night at the spa, and she had. She'd called the mall during a break and asked the store to put two items on the side for her. Erica's heart began to pound because she was afraid fo the questions she might have to answer. She'd ordered two different teddies in two different sizes. What would the clerk think? Palms sweating and stomach twisting, Erica walked into the lingerie shop. It took her two minutes just to get the attention of the clerk because she was too busy talking on the phone to notice (or care) that Erica was standing there. When she finally did, the clerk just scanned the tags on the teddies through the register without even glancing at them or Erica. Erica silently handed the clerk her credit card and walked out with her package, relieved that the clerk was too distracted to even notice Erica, let alone question her. Erica tucked the package from the lingerie shop into another of her shopping bags to keep it hidden from Callie. She then walked over to the food court to wait for Callie to return from the restroom.

Callie wanted to dig a hole and crawl into it when she saw Erica coming in to the lingerie shop. How was she going to explan why she was here, or what she was holding in her hand? She'd told Erica she had to use the restroom, which was true, but on the way there the shop caught her eye and she decided to pop in. Callie tried to make herself invisible behind a rack of push up bras while Erica waited for what seemed like forever for the clerk to take care of her. Finally Erica had a bag in her hand and was walking back towards the food court, where they said they'd meet. Callie couldn't decide what to buy from the surprisingly large assortment of toys the shop had. She wondered whether this was really a lingerie shop or actually a sex shop parading as a lingerie shop. In the end, more out of frustration than fetish, Callie settled on one of each item and brought it all to the counter. How was she supposed to know what would please Erica? She'd rather just buy the gammut and let Erica choose when the time came. When Callie approached the counter, the clerk wasn't as distracted as she had been with Erica and allowed herself to gape at Callie while she rang each item up. Callie felt her face burn as she paid and then she too stuffed her bag of goodies into another of her bags so that Erica wouldn't see it. She then jogged to the restroom as fast as she could on her bum foot and headed towards the food court once she'd taken care of the more urgent business she'd originally set out to take care of. If Erica had noticed how long it had taken her, she didn't say anything. The two ate salads from the Yogurt 'n Such and joked about threesomes and Mark Sloan. The conversation reminded Callie about her talk earlier that day with Mark.

"I spoke to Mark today." Callie said. "He told me that it's not healthy to keep our relationship a secret, but that he wouldn't be the one who told anyone. He was surprisingly mature about it."

Erica laughed. "The day Mark Sloan grows up is the day I'll quit my job and go work for Walter Tapley." The words had come out even before she realized what she was saying. Callie was going to make her talk about it now. Erica was going to have to bare all of her insecurities to Callie, and tell her the reasons why she wouldn't

be taking the job. She was going to hurt her feelings, and she didn't want to. Suddenly, Erica just wanted to be back in the locker room, with Callie's hands down her pants. Even the risk of getting caught in the act and having their whole relationship exposed was better than the risk of hurting Callie's feelings.

"We've got a lot to talk about, Erica." Callie said gently. "What happened in that scrub room today?" Callie had reached across the table and placed her hand on top of Erica's. She gave it a light squeeze that said "I'm here, let me help".

"Who are you, Dr. Wyatt?" Erica joked. Callie grinned, but kept her eyes glued to Erica. She wasn't going to let Erica joke her way out of this. There had been some heavy emotion going through Erica today and Callie already felt she knew what was Erica had been thinking.

"Can I take a guess?" Callie said quietly. Erica nodded. She'd rather have Callie grasping at straws than use her own words to discuss what went on in her head today.

Callie's face took on a stern but caring look as she said "You got offered a job with Walter Tapley, and it scared you. And I think the reason it scared you was because it would give you so many opportunities, not the least of which would be running away from telling people at Seattle Grace about us. Am I right?"

Erica's jaw dropped. Once again the famous Callie Torres had read her mind.

"Erica, do you want to tell people about us?" Callie asked, her tone neutral. She wasn't trying to pick a fight and she wasn't trying to upset Erica.

Erica looked down at the table and stared at Callie's hand covering her own. "I promised you I would." Erica said, her voice barely more than a whisper.

"I know you did. And I know you keep your promises. But would you feel better if I released you from that promise? Because I don't want to see you scared or upset like that anymore Erica. And if keeping our relationship a secret is going to let you advance your career, then that's what we're going to have to do. I know how important your career is to you. I know I take a backseat to it. And as much as I'd like to have a neon sign made that says 'I love Erica Hahn', I'll keep my mouth shut if it makes you happy. I'd rather have you be my biggest secret than not have you at all."

Erica couldn't speak. Callie had just given her the easy way out on a silver platter. Callie was giving her the opportunity she wanted, the job she wanted, and she was tossing her own happiness to the wind to make Erica happy. They weren't even together a week and already Callie was making sacrafices to please her. While her heart warmed to the generosity, the unfairness of Callie's gesture made Erica's blood boil. She had brought her gaze back up to meet Callie's and she stared deep into her eyes for a moment before she swallowed. "No." Erica said, her voice cracking on that single syllable.

"No?" Callie repeated. She wasn't sure to what Erica was saying no.

"No, no, no, no." Now Erica was shaking her head and she leaned forward, grasping Callie's chin in her free hand so she could look her straight in the eye. "Callie, don't you ever, for one moment, think that you take a back seat to my career. You are my life now. Six months ago, before I befriended you, I would have just walked out the door of Seattle Grace and never looked back. But now, I'm learning that there's more to life than a career. A career can take you so far, but it's not there waiting for you in bed each night."

Erica obviously had no idea how hard she was gripping Callie's chin. Her molars were going to explode if she didn't get Erica to calm herself quickly. "Not unless your career is a prostitute." Callie said with her lips scrunched.

Erica laughed and let go of Callie's chin. Callie tried not to look relieved that her face was finally free. The joke had broken some of the tension Erica had been feeling, but didn't take away from the disappointment that had lodged itself between her shoulders. The surgeon inside of Erica was going to make her pay for this, she just knew it. Erica laughed a bit more, and then suddenly she was laughing and crying. All Callie could do was watch the emotions flicker on Erica's face like a television screen.

Tears in her own eyes, Callie whispered "Erica, you have to take this job. You have to take it because it is the job you've dreamed about all of your life. You cannot let me get in the way of that. You're driven, Erica. You're not happy unless you're in surgery or doing research. You have to take this job."

"Callie, you know me better than anyone I've ever known. I don't know how you do it, but you see into my soul and you take away the warped confusion and insecurities I build for myself in there every time you smile. But you don't know me right now. I told you that I don't make friends easily. Relationships are even harder for me. But this relationship-," Erica gestured between them, "this is what I've wanted all of my life. Not a career with Walter Tapley. The feelings I have for you, the time we spend together, I've longed for happiness like this since I was a little girl. I may have an icy exterior, but I've always wanted companionship and love. I just didn't know how to find it and when I did find it in the past, I didn't know how to keep it. I've spent years learning how to block people out of my life to avoid hurting again, and then one day you show up. You show up, and you march right past the blockade I put around my heart as if it wasn't ever there. I'm never going to find anyone else who knows me, understands me... loves me, quite the way you do."

Callie was really crying now. She went to wipe her nose on her shirtsleeve, but Erica saw what was coming and offered Callie a napkin.

Erica took a deep breath before continuing. "Did I ever picture myself being this happy with a woman? No. But have I finally reached a place where I am comfortable. I'm comfortable with you. Walter Tapley would never approve of us, not that we'd need his approval. But he went into surgery with a damn crucifix around his neck. Working with him and his views of the world would stifle me, and I can't work when I'm feeling stifled. So I can't take this job Callie, because taking this job would do more to hurt me, and therefore hurt us than not taking this job could hurt me. I don't need to keep climbing the surgical ladder anymore. I'm at the top of my game. Frankly, Walter Tapley is an egotistical dick who's overdue for retirement. As awful as this sounds, he doesn't really have much to offer me in the way of knowledge. He's so old that his techniques, while groundbreaking in their time, were obsolete by the time I was in my residency. My own research has improved upon those techniques threefold. If I were to go work for Walter Tapley, he'd treat me more like a secretary than an attending physician."

Callie squeezed Erica's hand again. "You shouldn't be satisfied with being comfortable. I do know you, and you're never content to just be comfortable. You need to learn, grow and conquer. There are hearts out there that need mending and you're the woman who will find the way to do it. Don't let this opportunity pass you by, Erica. Not only would it benefit your career, it would be easier for you too. I know you're scared about telling people about us. Doing this, you could go work for Tapley and only tell the people who needed to know. You could keep your promise and be happy. I could help you with that."

Erica turned up the corners of her mouth in a weak smile. "I thought about running, Callie. I wouldn't be honest if I said that the thought had never occurred to me. I thought about how great it would be to not have to teach Yang. I thought about the massive kick to Preston Burke's ass that taking that job would have been. I imagined how untouchable I'd be if I worked for Walter Tapley. I even thought about how easy it would be for me to just start over somewhere else. There'd be no 'coming out' because I could just let everyone think that I'd always been with a woman. I'd get to avoid the shocked stares, the prying questions, and the insults. I'd get to avoid it while I left you alone to deal with it at SGH. But I can't make you go through that alone. It's just not right."

"I'm a big girl, Erica. I can fend for myself. I'd single-handedly kick the ass of anyone who gave me trouble." Callie said, a touch of defensiveness easing into her voice.

"I know you are, and I have no doubt about your ass-kicking abilities." Erica said with a smile. "But the problem is that no matter how tough you are, going through that alone would have been hurtful to you, and I cannot hurt you, because hurting you hurts me."

Callie smiled at what Erica had said, but she felt the need to continue to pry. She had to know where Erica's tears had come from earlier that day. "You're disappointed, aren't you?" Callie asked softly. "That was disappointment today in the scrub room."

"Disappointed?" Erica asked, pretending that she had not comprehended what Callie was getting at.

"You are a world-class surgeon. You and I both know that there is no one better than you. So naturally the surgeon inside of you wants you to take this job, because you know that working for Walter Tapley is going to take you places. But you're giving it up and the reason you're giving it up is me. I know that our relationship is going to hurt your career, Erica. And I don't know if I can live with knowing that I took the biggest opportunity of your life away from you. So that's why I'm telling you that you don't have to keep your promise. I can't crush you. I can't smother you. I can let you break your promise though."

"I don't break my promises, Callie. I don't make promises lightly and I am not going to break the most important promise I've ever made. I love you. I promised that I would get to a point where I would let the world know that. I intend to keep that promise, even if it takes the rest of my life to get to that point. Disappointment is a bitter pill to swallow, so I prefer to ignore it and work harder until it goes away. I've dealt with disappointment throughout my career, Callie. It's a big boys club and being a woman has kept me at a disctinct disadvantage. But deep down, I know I'm just as good as any of those boys in the OR. Disappointment has a vareity of names- Preston Burke, Harper Avery. Now it's Walter Tapley. I've always gotten around the disappointment. I've worked harder and proved to everyone that I don't let disappointment keep me down. I'd be stupid and we'd both be naieve if I didn't think that our relationship will probably hurt my career at some point, but as long as you're by my side, there will never again be disappointment."

Now Callie was bawling. Erica stood up and kissed the tears away, and then placed a chaste kiss on Callie's lips. A cough to their left interrupted them had them both glancing over. A scandalized-looking security guard was standing there. To his credit, he pulled himself together enough to tell them politely that it was ten o'clock and the mall was closing. Giggling, the two women gathered their bags and started to walk away. All of a sudden, the security guard was back behind them.

"Uh, excuse me, ladies?" He said with a fair amount of trepidation. The two turned around, Erica prepared to give him the blue-eyed laser stare if he made some sort of comment. "You left this" he said, holding up one of the bags. To Callie's absolute horror, it was the bag in which she had hidden the toys she'd bought... and it was _vibrating._ Callie grabbed it, muttered a thanks, and high-tailed it back towards Erica's car without looking back. It took Erica a few seconds to catch up with Callie because she was laughing so hard she was doubled over. When she finally did catch up, she gasped "What the hell is in that bag?"


	14. Interruptions

**A/N:** Grey's Anatomy and all related entities are the property of ABC and Shonda Rimes.

Thanks for the great reviews! I can't believe how far this has come. More soon, so stay tuned! :)

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The ride home was surprisingly comfortable, despite the revelations that both women had made and the fact that a clearly uncomfortable mall security officer had to hand a bag full of sex toys back to Callie, which Callie then had to show to Erica. Erica nearly wet her pants laughing at the sheer number of toys Callie had purchased.

"Well, I figure we could use them riiiight after we take off those teddies you bought." Callie grinned conspiratorially.

"Wha? How? How did you?" Erica had instantly stopped laughing and was now stammering. It could not have been possible for Callie to know about that purchase. Was she really some kind of psychic? How did she do that?!

"Oh, I know all about your little purchase." Callie grinned her brightest grin. She loved making Erica squirm. Erica really hadn't seen her in the back of the lingerie shop and she hadn't put two and two together about Callie picking up the sex toys while she was making her own secret purchase. Callie figured she'd let Erica squirm a bit longer before she let her know how she knew about the teddies.

Walking up the front steps to Erica's house, Callie once again laced her fingers through Erica's. The electricity between them was palpable. Erica opened the front door, tossed their bags onto the landing of the stairs and then pulled Callie in behind her, slamming the door shut. She then pushed Callie up against the door and kissed her with a strength that surprised them both, while using one hand to lock the deadbolt. Once the two of them were securely in the house, Erica grabbed Callie's hand and practically dragged her up the stairs. Half way to the top, Callie tripped and knocked the two of them over. Rather than get up and continue up the stairs, Callie, who had landed on top of Erica, just started ripping off Erica's clothes right there. "We need to finish what we started today" Callie breathed into Erica's neck as she kissed her and started pulling down Erica's pants. Erica just moaned as she yanked Callie's shirt up over her head. It wasn't long before the two of them were completely naked on the stairs, writing against one another atop a stairway sea of their own clothing.

Callie had one arm hooked under Erica's back while she kissed Erica with all she was worth. To her credit, Erica was kissing Callie just as passionately. If Erica was uncomfortable lying naked on the hardwood stairs, she didn't show it. Callie had lowered one hand down to the nexus between Erica's legs. Erica had followed suit. Looking each other straight in the eyes, each woman used two fingers to enter the other. The roller coaster of emotions that the two had ridden together all day left them both quite worked up. It wasn't long before the two of them were nearing the point of no return. Erica had gone from moaning to practically screaming, and Callie's breath was ragged, coming in throaty gasps. Erica could feel Callie's inhalations start to sync with her own. Callie leaned in to kiss Erica. She wanted to ride out both of their explosions with her lips firmly on Erica's. As a molecule of space separated their lips, a pager went off. "Ignore it,' Callie muttered as she let her lips connect with Erica's. Erica could feel Callie's muscles around her fingers slowly starting to tighten and release. It wouldn't be long now. As the first waves of bliss started to make their way from the centers of their individual beings, a second pager went off. And then Erica's cell phone started to ring. Callie's phone started ringing seconds later.

"Daaaamn it!" Erica screamed as Callie rolled off of her, muttering her own epithet. If there was a God, he was definitely a man, because only a man could deny her what she so desperately needed twice in one day.

"Are you on call?" Callie asked, trying to catch her own breath before moving down the stairs to the landing to grab up her cell.

"No. And this damn well better be huge if they don't want me to kill them when I get back there." Erica growled as she picked up her own cell phone. "What?" she barked into the mouthpiece. No one was there to take offense though, as it was the hospital's automated paging system calling. Multiple level-five traumas were being brought to the emergency room and all on- and off-duty doctors were being paged back in. Erica glanced at Callie as she was hanging up her phone. The look on Callie's face said that she too had been paged back in. The two switched quickly from lovers to doctors as they gathered their clothes, threw them back on and raced back to the ER in to Erica's car.

At the hospital, both went their separate ways. There was no time for goodbyes or worrying about people seeing them coming in together. The hospital was in an uproar with the number of patients being admitted. A speeding tour bus had skidded through a construction barrier on the freeway, barreling into multiple construction workers before the bus's front corner slammed into a parked dump truck, causing the rear end of the bus to buck upward and become unstable. Instead of landing upright on all four of it's wheels, the angle of the impact caused the bus to fall onto its side. There were already 4 fatalities that had been called at the scene. They were construction workers who had been hit by the speeding bus. Search and rescue was still cutting people out of the bus and bringing them to the emergency room. Two other construction workers had been airlifted to Mercy and one bus passenger was taken to Presbyterian via the same method. The pit at Seattle Grace was a frenzy of activity. Callie had been setting bones on bus passengers when EMS brought in the bus driver and an uneasy silence settled over the group. This was going to be the most challenging of the patients brought in so far, it was quite clear.

Whether it was fate or just an indication of their skills Erica and Callie were immediately re-assigned to the bus driver, who had been crushed between the bus and the dump truck when it hit. The force from the impact had caused the steering wheel to smash into the driver's sternum and crush into his chest cavity. He was bleeding internally and externally and had coded twice on the way to the hospital. The driver started coding again as they brought him into the operating room. Erica began barking out orders while Callie waited for her to charge the paddles and shock the patient. It took four tries, but they were able to get his heart beating steadily enough to open him up. Callie went to work on removing the shards of bone and Erica began to repair the tears to the aorta and heart surface. After she had cleared out the bone shards in the chest, Callie moved towards the driver's broken femur, which was protruding through the skin. She methodically prepared the screws and pins, getting ready to open up the wound and reconnect the bones and tendons. As she prepared her scalpel to make the first new incision, the patient coded again. Callie cleared away from the patient with the rest of the surgical team as Erica placed the paddles in and charged them. 7 joules. 9 joules. 11 joules. The heart was stubborn and refused to restart. Erica tried to massage it, but the patient continued to flatline. Callie was amazed at the care and skill that Erica put into her surgeries. As different as orthopedics was to cardio, Callie wanted to become the type of surgeon that Erica was. She wanted to be strong, confident and skilled like the woman she was watching. Silently, Callie willed the heart to start back up again, never realizing that Erica was doing exactly the same thing. Milliseconds before Erica was going to call the time of death, the heart monitor blipped. It was a solitary arch in the flatline, but it was a beat none-the-less. Moments later, there was another blip. Then another. Soon the heart rate increased and blood continued to pump through the patient's veins. "That's my girl," Callie thought with an amused grin hidden behind her surgical mask. "If she can start my heart just by looking at me, she can cure anybody." Callie picked up her scalpel and made the incision she had delayed earlier.

Callie was still working on putting the patient's femur back together when Erica closed up the chest cavity and was paged to another operating room. Callie also had the humerus and clavicle to fix before she could move on to another patient, so she'd be here for a while. Erica made Cristina Yang stand by in case the bus driver's heart stopped again. As she walked away from the patient, she glanced once over her shoulder to Callie, standing on a stool with a drill in her hand. Callie glanced up at her and caught the smile that was hidden under Erica's mask. She returned it with one of her own. Callie never felt Cristina's eyes burning into her back.


	15. Desperate Times

**A/N:** I don't own Grey's, its characters or any of the related entities. That honor goes to ABC and Shonda Rimes, you lucky ducks you.

I am continually humbled by the words of encouragement I've been receiving here. Thanks so much!!

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It had been 3 days since the bus accident and Callie and Erica hadn't seen each other for more than two or three minutes at a time. Neither had been home, and between the two of them they'd gotten about 5 hours of sleep in three days. The amount of follow-up care required after large-scale traumas could tire the most energetic of surgeons. It had taken three full days for things to stabilize at Seattle Grace. In all, there had been 7 fatalities, and it looked like today, despite the best efforts of the hospital staff, may bring an eighth. At least 13 other patients were still in critical condition and 16 more were stable but still admitted as in-patients. There had been paperwork and police reports, consults and condolences. Though the time flew by, Erica missed Callie and wondered if she was missing her, too.

Callie had finally finished her rounds for the morning and made up her mind to try and get some sleep. As Callie dozed in an on-call room she let her mind wander to Erica. She missed her and thought it was sad that the two of them could work so near to one another and not get to spend any time together. The sound of the door closing and locking brought her about. She felt the blanket she was under lift slightly. Callie didn't have to open her eyes to know who it was. She wrapped her arm around Erica and nuzzled her nose into Erica's hair, taking a deep breath. Erica's hair was damp and smelled faintly of her shampoo. Her scrubs felt clean and crisp. Leave it to Erica to make sure she showered and changed before she snuggled up with her lover. Callie was too tired to care that she hadn't done the same.

"How long has it been since you've slept?" Callie murmured.

"Two days." Erica whispered back as she got comfortable. "The bus driver died this morning. We tried to resuscitate for nearly 10 minutes. His heart just couldn't take the trauma."

"Damn." Callie whispered. "I thought for sure when he came back on the table, that he was going to make it."

"Me too." Erica whispered as she brought Callie's hand up to her lips for a kiss. Callie kissed the back of Erica's head and the two let themselves drift off to sleep.

"Oh, this is just classic." The voice sneered, causing Callie to jump up and practically roll over Erica in an effort to get off of the bed. Callie glanced at her watch. They hadn't even been in there for 10 minutes before the latest interruption. Callie was dizzy with exhaustion and was having a hard time comprehending the source of the words that were being tossed at the two of them. If the voice hadn't woken Erica, Callie's weight rolling over her sure did. Both were gaping at the source of the sound that had so rudely interrupted their slumber as it continued. "I knew it all along. It was so obvious. The smiles over the operating table a few days ago were a sure sign... but this?" The figure in front of them gestured wildly. "This is just picture perfect, really. You thought that by moving out, you could keep this under wraps." Cristina waved her hands in front of her, gesturing at the two bedraggled women "This is just too much."

"Cristina," Callie started, but her voice failed her and Erica quickly picked up their defense.

"Yang, I've had enough of this. I'm going to the chief. I'm tired of the snide remarks, the threats and the blackmail. I've had enough." Erica repeated as she stood up and took Callie's hand.

"You've had enough?" Cristina spat. "You've had enough? Enough of what? Enough of making me beg to be taught? Enough of putting me down in front of my colleagues? Enough of what, exactly, Dr. Hahn, have you had? Because personally, I've had enough. I'm through with the groveling. I'm here to learn dammit, and I'm going to make you teach me."

"Cristina," Callie started again, but that seemed to be the only word her mouth could form.

"Don't Cristina me, Callie. Some friend you turned out to be. You watched her-" Cristina's voice cracked slightly and she drew in a deep breath before continuing. "Watched her abuse me. You watched her neglect me, and watched her refuse to teach me. Did you ever once stand up for me? I let you live with me, dammit! I let you come traipsing into my apartment with your crap and your wine parties and your 'I'm-so-mad-at-George' attitude, and I lived with it. But you couldn't return the favor, could you? You couldn't tell your friend- your girlfriend- that I'm a good student and a great surgeon. You could have been a friend and helped me. But now, since I can clearly see where your loyalties lie, I'm taking mattes into my own hands. The two of you disgust me, and it's not because you're fucking gay. It's because you're both cowards and lousy friends." Cristina's face looked like she'd swallowed an unusually bitter lemon whole.

"Cristina, this has gone far enough-" Erica shouted.

"No, Dr. Hahn, I don't think that this has gone far enough yet. You will teach me. You were told by the Chief that you had to teach me, yet you've continued to avoid me like I've got some kind of disease. You will teach me. You will get off of whatever fucking high horse you're on and you will teach me!" Cristina was gripping the keys in her hand so fiercely that it looked like her hand would start to bleed.

"You're insane, Yang. If you ever thought you'd get into one of my ORs again after this little display, you're more nutty than a pecan pie." Erica shot back, instantly regretting the 'pecan pie' comment but meaning everything else she'd said.

"You will teach me, Dr. Hahn, because if you don't, this situation you've put yourself in with Callie will be all over this hospital. And any other hospital where they'd care to listen. I'll make it so that you can't deny it and so that you'll never work in medicine again. I'll kill your reputation the same way you've killed my education." Cristina's voice was surprisingly even, but tinged with a cold that sent shivers up Erica's spine.

Erica knew Cristina was serious, so she did the only thing she could think of. She turned, grabbed Callie's face and kissed her hard, confirming everything. "Callie and I are together, Yang. Deal with it." Erica's voice was so calm and collected, that she surprised even herself. Saying those words were far easier than denying and dodging had been.

Callie's mouth hung open. Of all people for Erica to come out to, she decided to start with Yang? Of all the people to kiss her in front of, it had to be Cristina? This had to be a nightmare. Someone was going to wake her up soon, she just knew it. She was really just sleeping on an on-call room bed, letting her overtired brain get to her, right? Because Erica did not just out the two of them to her arch-nemesis. There could be no way...

"Oh, I will definitely deal with it," Yang said, the grin on her face growing larger and Callie's nightmare becoming more and more real. "I'm going to deal with it by telling everyone that I caught the two of you doing the McNasty."

Callie found her voice at last. "Cristina, you know that's not what we were doing. And seriously, even if it was, who would be surprised? We wouldn't be the only ones who'd done it in an on-call room. If I remember correctly, you conceived Preston Burke's baby in an on-call room, did you not?"

It was Cristina's turn to be shocked. No one knew about that outside of Bailey, Burke and Meredith. How could Callie know about that pregnancy? The look on her face asked the question for her and Callie answered it. "You forget that Addison was my best friend when she was here. I believe she performed the surgery to stop the bleeding after your ectopic pregnancy, did she not? And am I wrong in assuming that the baby of which we speak right now was conceived in an on-call room?" Callie felt a glimmer of hope after she knocked Cristina for a loop, but it didn't last long.

"So what Callie? I didn't conceive that baby with a woman. A woman who won't. teach. me. A woman whose entire life is her reputation." Cristina punctuated her words, making it evident that Callie would take a back seat to Erica's success with every syllable she spat out. "You two decided to get together, and didn't even think of what it could do to your reputations, did you? Teach me, and I won't say anything. Continue to ignore me and deprive me of what I'm here to learn, and I'll turn this into something that will have the both of you looking for new jobs in other fields."

"You know we can't be fired for our relationship, Cristina." Erica's words were clipped and Callie herself was afraid of the anger that was quietly rising within Erica.

"Not for being gay, no. But when I tell the Chief that you two were having sex in a patient's room, he'll have a field day with it. So you tell me, _Erica_, what's it going to be?" Cristina's use of Erica's first name was the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back. Erica let go of Callie's hand and walked right up to Cristina, backing her into the on-call room door without ever touching her. Erica lowered her face to mere inches from Cristina's.

"That's not going to happen, Cristina. The Chief has more common sense than to believe something so far fetched as that, especially coming from a first-year resident with an overblown ego who slept with her attending to get where she is today."

Cristina did back down a bit, but not because of the words shoved at her by Erica. She was more afraid of the heart surgeon beating her to within an inch of her life than she was intimidated by the words she'd spoken.

Mistaking Cristina's fear of a beating for fear of a kissing, Erica stepped back and growled "What's the matter Yang? Afraid I'll try to kiss you, too?"

Erica didn't wait for a response from Cristina. The fact that Cristina had backed off for a split second gave them the chance to make their exit. Callie felt herself being pulled along by Erica and she didn't actually realize that they'd left the on call room until they were standing outside of the Chief's office. The old Attila the Hahn was back, and she pretty much pushed through the Chief's secretary and into the Chief's office.

The Chief had been at the hospital just as long as everyone else and he sleeping on the couch in his office when a commotion outside woke him. Suddenly Erica Hahn and Callie Torres were standing in the doorway. Callie looked like she'd hide under the first rock she could find and Erica was angry enough to scare even the Chief himself.

"Richard, we have to talk." Erica was used to calling the Chief by his first name, however as a resident Callie was not. The couch upon which the Chief had been sleeping suddenly looked like a great spot for Callie to hide behind, and the Chief didn't miss the thought as it flittered through Callie's head. Had it not been for Erica's hand holding tightly to her own, she just might have ran and hid under it.

Instead, Callie decided that perhaps this wasn't the best time to be disturbing the Chief. "Uh, sir, I'm sorry we interrupted you, we can always come back later." Callie stammered. She knew where this was going and now she was the one who was afraid. All of the encouragement she'd been giving Erica over the past week had suddenly disappeared from memory. She didn't want to come out yet. She wanted to stay wrapped in the safety of their secret a bit longer. But then again, Cristina Yang had just thrown everything into fast forward and she didn't have much choice about chosing when to come out anymore.

The Chief noticed the grip Erica had on Callie's hand. He too knew what was coming. He'd seen the two women in the hallways and the cafeteria and had suspected something, but he couldn't say as much to them now because Cristina Yang had just rushed into the room, and George O'Malley was just two steps behind her. As the Chief's intern, he felt himself entitled to be in this conversation, even though he had no clue what it was about. Patricia, the Chief's secretary, burst in behind them all screaming at them to leave and make an appointment to see the Chief.

Ignoring the screaming secretary behind her, Cristina blurted out, "Chief, I think you should know that I caught those two having sex in a patient's room."

The words were out of her mouth before she really knew what she was doing. Regret instantly burst in her chest when she saw Callie's face fall, but she couldn't deal with Hahn and her surgical witholding and she was still pissed at Callie for being too blinded by whatever sick love affair this was to help her.

Shocked silence ensued. Even Cristina was a little shaken by what she'd just done. But desperate times...


	16. Saving Grace

**A/N:** All characters and related stuff belongs to Shonda and ABC. Not mine. Nope, not one bit.

I hated making Cristina the bad guy here... but she's just so good at it! :) I'll clear things up with her eventually, don't worry. She's not really evil and I won't let her stay that way in MY story. :D

* * *

Saving grace comes in mysterious ways. Cristina's lies were still echoing through all of their heads when common sense finally prevailed in someone.

"Sir, that can't be! I _just_ saw Dr. Hahn processing the paperwork for the bus driver that died this morning not ten minutes ago and Callie- I mean, Dr. Torres- was sleeping in the on call room on the third floor. I _know_ she was sleeping there because Cristina herself asked me for the key to that room so that she could go wake her for a consult. There's no way that Cristina could have seen, er, seen them, doing, uh, um, that."

George. Good old uncomfortable, ass-kissing, cheating, ex-husband George O'Malley really was a stand-up guy when things came down to it. Callie simply couldn't hate him anymore after this. Even Erica was impressed with his gumption and truthfulness and let her hate-by-association for George dissipate.

Cristina, on the other hand, could hate all of them simultaneously and decided to start in on George first. "Listen Bambi-"

"Excuse me?" The Chief said incredulously. "Did you just refer to my intern as Bambi?"

"She won't teach me!" Cristina wailed as a response. Suddenly Erica was screaming at Cristina, Cristina was screaming at George, and Callie was giving George her best "Thanks-for-this-and-I'm-sorry-for-the-clusterfuck-going-on-here" look. George, for his part, was glowing despite the abuse from Cristina. Maybe Callie could forgive him one day if he kept doing things like this.

"All right, now everyone just stand down." The Chief said with the anger evident in his voice. "I don't know what the hell is going on here, but I won't tolerate it in my hospital! You!" he pointed at Yang. "You do not deserve to be taught if you are going to spread malicious rumors! Has your ego grown so much since the cement patient that you think I would tolerate this behavior? I told Dr. Hahn that she needed to do a better job teaching you. I also recall telling you not to let me regret backing you up. You want to be taught? You grow up!"

The Chief stopped for breath and rubbed his hands down his face before continuing, his voice quieter but no less dangerous. "Yang, you go wait in the office next door. I'll call you back in momentarily. Do not speak to anyone else. I will deal with you in a few minutes." The Chief turned to George and said "O'Malley, do I have any reason not to believe what you've just told me?"

"No sir! I know there were others at the nurses station who saw Dr. Hahn doing paperwork too. You could ask them as well, sir."

"Fine then, you can go. See me tomorrow at twelve thirty to go over arrangements for your intern exam."

George practically skipped out of the office. "O'Malley!" The Chief bellowed again and George turned to face him once again. "Speak of this incident to no one, do you hear me?"

"Understood, sir." George said as he once again started to leave.

As the door closed behind George, Callie's stomach started to tie itself into knots. This was it. The real moment of truth. Erica must have been feeling the same way because she once again reached for the hand that she'd dropped in her screaming match with Cristina.

"Sit." The Chief said. The two women did as they were told and took the two seats across from the Chief's desk. Once again the Chief's gaze rested on the interlaced fingers that were now resting on Erica's lap. "So." The Chief said. He was going to make them do this. He wasn't going to ask questions, he was just going to expect answers. He looked from Callie to Erica and back to Callie again. For the second time that afternoon, Callie couldn't find her voice. For the second time that afternoon, Erica found it for her.

"We were not having sex in a patient's room, Richard." Erica said matter-of-factly.

"I didn't think you did." The Chief said simply and waited for Erica to go on.

Erica looked to Callie and Callie knew there would be no more hiding. She squeezed Erica's hand and gave her a barely perceptible nod. Erica took a deep breath and looked back at the Chief. "But I have had sex with Callie. We're..." Erica just couldn't help the smile as it spread across her face. "We're together. We're in love. We're a... a couple." Erica took her gaze from the Chief and looked back at Callie. Callie returned her smile.

"So let me get this straight..." the Chief trailed off, regretting his choice of words after they came out of his mouth. Erica caught the double-entendre and cocked an eyebrow at the Chief. Callie let her gaze fall first to the floor and then to Erica's hand holding her own, afraid of laughing.

"No Chief, not straight. Callie and I, we're not entirely straight, so you can't get this straight." Erica said it without any malice in her voice and the Chief chuckled.

And with that, Callie exhaled the breath she didn't know she'd been holding and she laughed along with everyone else.

"Now that we've cleared that up, what happened this afternoon? With Yang, I mean." The Chief interjected that last bit out of fear of getting details he may not want to know. He considered himself a pretty tolerant guy, but the less he knew about these women's sexual relationship, the more comfortable he'd be.

Callie finally found her voice. "Sir, I was sleeping in the on-call room on the third floor. Erica found me there. She curled up on the bed with me. I _swear_ sir, we were simply dozing off. The door was locked and we were just trying to catch up on some rest. Neither of us had slept in nearly three days due to the bus accident. Erica hadn't even been in the room with me for more than 10 minutes before Yang barged in and saw us on the same bed. She must have gotten the key from George. Suddenly Cristina was threatening to tell the whole hospital about us. She told Erica that if she wouldn't teach her, she'd come to you and tell you that she caught us having sex in a patient's room."

Erica picked up where Callie trailed off. "I told her I wasn't going to tolerate the blackmailing and the threats. She had already threatened Callie earlier with outing us and she told Callie she couldn't live in her apartment anymore if Callie didn't get me to teach her. That's when we came down here, to talk to you. She must have ran after us to follow through with her threat. Richard, we're all adults here. I do not have sex in on -all rooms or- heaven help me- patient rooms."

At that, Callie had to duck her head to hide her blush. She'd had sex in plenty of on-call rooms in this hospital, just not with Erica. She figured it would be better not to volunteer that information to the Chief right at that moment.

The Chief sighed. "I have no problem with the two of you being, well, being who you are. What you told me here will not leave this room. But from this point forward you will not sleep together in any sense of the word in one of my on-call rooms, is that clear? So far as I am concerned, no one will sleep with _any one_ in on-call rooms, male, female or somewhere in between. Got it?"

The two women nodded.

Standing back up, the Chief continued: "I'll deal with Yang, but Erica, you have got to teach that girl. What she did was wrong, but do you see the lengths she's gone through to try and get you to teach her? This is a teaching hospital, dammit and you are the best in your field." The Chief held up a hand to silence the protest forming on Erica's lips. "I'll deal with this fiasco and make sure she knows who is boss around here. But you have got to let her start scrubbing in on your surgeries. Everyone in this room knows that if given a chance, Yang will make a fine cardio-thoracic surgeon. So you need to put whatever it is that you have against her aside and teach her. You are a damn fine surgeon Erica, and it would be an awful waste if you kept that knowledge and skill to yourself."

"Richard, after today, I don't know if I could teach her even if I wanted to." Callie was genuinely shocked at the trepidation in Erica's voice. She'd been so strong and fearless earlier.

"I doubt that once I'm done with her she'll even so far as want to look at you again, but you must teach her if she decides to stay in your service. Keep it professional. She'll be uncomfortable enough as it is once I have my say. I don't take what she did lightly and I am not trying to reward her by making you teach her. Rest assured that she will not get away with what she did today. She's going to sorely regret it. If it helps you at all, think of her scrubbing in with you now as more of a punishment for her than a treat. Yang may not be the most emotionally stable or tactful person in this hospital, but she will feel after I am through with her. What she feels will vary between embarrassment, shame, or fear, but trust me when I tell you that she will feel."

Erica simply nodded, the thought of teaching Yang anything at this point making her queasy.

"I'll need you both to fill out updated 'Date and Tell' forms. But that can wait a bit, until the two of you are a little more... comfortable with letting your relationship be known outside of this room." Richard said gently and sighed. All his years as the Chief of Surgery and he had never experienced an episode like this. "You know, I can punish Yang for what she did, and I _will_ punish Yang for what she did. But I cannot keep her from telling others about you. I can tell her not to, but I cannot physically keep her mouth shut. You do realize that, don't you?"

Callie spoke up. "Sir, we were waiting to tell people about us, but we didn't intend to keep it a secret forever. I think we'll let Cristina tell who she wants, and we'll confirm her rumors on a need-to-know basis. Our relationship is none of the business of the people in this hospital. The people closest to us know already, and they've been supportive and encouraging. Perfect strangers can think of us what they will- it makes no difference to me."

"Us." Erica interrupted. "It makes no difference to us."

Callie looked over at Erica and smiled. If Richard hadn't been there, she'd have kissed her.

Perhaps sensing what Callie was thinking, or maybe he was just getting sick of the eyes the two women were giving each other, the Chief changed gears. "Erica, have you given any more thought to what we discussed at the beginning of the week?" The Chief asked, looking for anything else to talk about than the situation that just transpired. He also wanted Cristina to stew in her own juices for a few minutes more before he dealt with her.

"I've given it a lot of thought, Richard. I don't intend to take Tapley up on his offer when he comes here next week. I had already made up my mind about not going over there, but now, well, let's just say that especially in light of what went on here today and how it was handled, I really have no intention of going." Erica felt Callie squeeze her hand. Callie guessed what it must have felt like to verbalize that she was giving up on that opportunity. She loved Erica for it more than she could ever tell her.

Relief and happiness flooded the Chief's face, but he kept his response neutral enough. "Well then, I'm happy to hear that. I think Seattle Grace has a lot to offer a surgeon of your caliber."

Erica replied in kind. "Mercy doesn't have a chief of surgery of your caliber, Richard." and with that, Erica stood up, Callie doing the same. They all knew that in her own way, Erica just thanked the Chief for his kindness and professionalism- something that she'd never get from Walter Tapley in this situation.

"Thank you, sir, for your understanding." Callie said as she leaned over and gave him a brief hug, which she knew wasn't professional at all, but it still felt right. The Chief chuckled and hugged her back, then walked the two women out of his office.

"You two have fun on your little trip tomorrow." The Chief said quietly enough so that just the three of them could hear. "'Change in friendship', Dr. Torres?" Callie giggled, her little white lie being called out by the Chief himself. Over the past three days, she'd forgotten all about the lie she'd fed the chief about their trip. Suddenly it didn't seem so crazy for the two of them to show up at that hotel as a couple. If they could face down Yang, if they could spill their guts to the Chief, they could deal with the people at the hotel without a problem.

The Chief continued "Matter of fact, if neither of you are needed for anything urgent, go ahead and start your vacation a bit early. I think we all could use a good rest at this point. I'll see the two of you on Tuesday bright and early."

Turning away from the two departing women, the Chief walked next door and screamed at Yang to get in his office, stat, and it sounded like music to both Callie and Erica's ears.

Callie and Erica walked, hand-in-hand again, to the locker rooms. They passed George on the way. Callie broke from Erica's grasp for a moment and motioned to George. "I just want to talk to him for a minute," she said.

Erica knew she ought to thank George for his earlier valor, but knew that Callie would do it for the both of them better than she could do it on her own. "OK. I'll meet you outside of your locker room." Erica whispered before she walked on, giving George a rare smile.

If George had noticed the hand holding, he didn't say anything. He waited for Callie to come up to him. "Hey." Callie whispered.

"Hi, Dr. Torres." George said, his discomfort rising to the surface as he used his ex-wife's title instead of her name.

"George, call me Callie. It's stupid to go back to using titles. You're my ex-husband, for crying out loud."

George brightened a bit and was completely unsuccessful at hiding it. He wanted to hug her but his thoughts returned to the hand holding he'd just seen. "So, uh, you and Erica, huh?" he said quietly.

"Yeah. Me and Erica." Callie said as she looked down, unable to meet George's eyes.

"Does she make you happy, Callie?"

Callie was surprised by the question. She expected a tirade of indignant anger about being with a woman after she'd been married George. She looked up and met George's eyes, a huge smile finding its way to her face. "I never expected what I have with Erica. I'm happier than I've ever been, George."

George knew he could have taken that as an insult, but he saw the truth in Callie's eyes and he knew she wasn't saying it to be insulting. "Then I'm happy for you. I hope you find with her, what we couldn't find together." He put his hand out to shake hers. She grasped his hand and pulled him in for a hug.

"I hope you find happiness like this too, George. Thank you, from the both of us, for going to bat for us today."

George just nodded and the two went their separate ways. Callie was surprised at how light she felt. She hadn't realized how heavy her hurt over George had been. She was glad she didn't have to carry it with her anymore.


	17. The Secret to Reading Minds

**A/N:** Standard disclaimer. I don't own Grey's Anatomy. I just play around with the characters in my head, making my favorites do all the things I'd like to see on TV.

This chapter doesn't resolve much, but I needed it to bridge the Cristina issue and move the story forward a bit. More to come. :)

* * *

Erica was waiting for Callie outside of the Resident's Lounge. She did not dare go in with Callie, even though she knew the two of them were really too exhausted to try anything remotely close to what they'd done in there a few days before. Callie pulled her dirty clothes out of her locker and stuffed them into her backpack. She wasn't bothering with changing. She just wanted to go home, shower, pack for their trip and sleep. As they walked to the car, Callie told Erica that she'd told George about them, and that he was actually happy for the two of them.

"I don't think I'm mad at George about our breakup anymore, Erica." Callie said simply.

"Good. Let it go. We've got Cristina to be angry at now." Callie could tell that Erica meant that jokingly, but she really did feel like she'd truly lost a friend today. She wasn't sure she'd get any sympathy from Erica if she told her that, but she needed to talk to someone about it.

"Maybe we need to let go of Cristina too." Callie said. Erica glared at her, the thought of letting go of the situation seeming absurd to her. "I'm not saying I forgive her. I just want to forget her, at least for this weekend, OK?" Callie said in defense of herself.

"I'm never going to be able to forget what went on today. It's going to replay in my mind like a bad movie set on loop." Erica said as she got in the car and buckled her seat belt.

"I won't truly forget it either, Erica. But I'm just going to say this once and then drop it. I'm not looking for a fight, okay?" Callie looked at Erica innocently when Erica took her eyes off of the road to face her for a moment. "Cristina was my friend up until she tried to blackmail me last week. I know you didn't like her to begin with, but she did let me live with her when I needed a place to stay and she did help me get over my divorce. Until I became your friend, she was the closest thing I had to a best friend aside from Addison. What she did today hurt me on more than one level. So you'll need to forgive _me_ if I don't want to think or talk about this for a while."

"Obviously, she wasn't your friend to begin with if she could treat you like that, Callie." Erica's words were terse.

"No, Erica, in the beginning she was my friend, in her own Cristina Yang kind of way. And I'm beginning to think that maybe I wasn't as good of a friend to her as she was to me, because I didn't even try to mitigate the situation between the two of you. It still does not excuse her behavior today. I'm just saying that she was hurting and I was supposed to be her friend and a part of me feels like I let her down."

"Don't let her get to you like that. She was snide and cruel. She tried to hurt us both today. Don't twist her actions around and make it into your fault somehow." Erica tried to keep her temper in check but the exhaustion combined with the fact that they were speaking about her least favorite person in the world as making her patience run short.

"Okay, look, I said I ddin't want to argue about this. I'm really not looking to fight. We're both tired and we've both been through three very hellish days. So I'm going to drop this. I've said my piece and you've said yours. I think we both need a few days to cool off from the while situation and then we can look at it objectively later." Callie unconsciously splayed her hands out in front of her in an attempt to push the situation away.

"You're right. Sorry Cal." Erica's voice was low. She wasn't used to apologizing to anyone, and those two words were often the last two to ever leave her mouth. At the same time, the last person she wanted to hurt was Callie. She let it go, even though she felt she was right. There'd be other times to argue about this, however.

The rest of the drive home was mostly quiet, punctuated only by yawns. The physical stress of the past three days had been compounded by the emotional stress brought out by Cristina's outburst. Despite what she'd said to Erica about forgetting it for a few days, Callie still couldn't believe it and replayed the events of the day in her head. Where had that outburst come from? She thought she knew Cristina better than that. Maybe she could have been a better friend to Cristina, but after today it just seemed like she had just been trying to use Callie to get in on Erica's surgeries. Would it ever be possible for them to mend their friendship? Callie hoped so, because the thought of losing one of her few friends hurt her as much as Cristina's words had hurt her today. Another thoguht occurred to Callie. Maybe Cristina wasn't even interested in putting their friendship back together. She'd pretty much indicated that she was through with their friendship and that she didn't really care about Callie anymore when she tried to kill her career for her. Why did it all have to be so confusing? Callie forced herself to push the thoughts out of her mind. She had a great weekend ahead of her and she was going to spend it with her girlfriend having the time of her life. Her _girlfriend_. Callie suddenly liked the ring of those words and allowed them to brighten her mood a little.

When they got in the house, Erica told Callie she'd pack while Callie showered. She felt bad about giving Callie a hard time about Cristina and packing would be one more thing to keep her mind off of the day's events. Erica truly felt that Callie really should not feel so badly about her broken friendship with Yang. As far as Erica was concerned, Yang was the cause of all of her own problems and it would be up to Yang to mend the fences she'd broken today.

Callie, meanwhile was grateful for the chance to skip dealing with that luggage set, the agony in her toes a searing reminder of all that the luggage had brought about. Had that really only been a few days ago? Had she and Erica really fought over luggage? No, the fight hadn't really been about luggage. It was about secrets and expectations. And they'd gotten through that. Callie hoped that they'd be able to get through the Cristina situation as well. The luggage fight felt like ages ago, Callie thought as she removed her shoe and looked at her purple toes. Her pinky toe felt like it was going to swell to the point of explosion and she hoped she'd be able to get her shoe back on tomorrow. At least some time relaxing at the spa would allow those toes to heal properly, because three straight days of standing on them for hours on end in surgery certainly hadn't promoted their healing.

When she got out of the shower and found Erica, she was sitting on her bed with a giant pink vibrating dildo in her hand. Silently, Callie groaned. Had she really bought that thing? And seriously, she just did not have the energy for sex right now. How could Erica even be in the mood? She'd gotten even less sleep than Callie over the past few days. Callie was about to say as much but it was Erica's turn to read Callie's mind. Glancing down at the dildo and flicking the switch, she let it vibrate for a split second before turning it back off again and giggling. "I'm too tired, Cal. But I came across this while I was packing the stuff we'd bought at the mall and finally figured out your secret about reading minds."

"You did, huh?" Callie asked sweetly, relieved that there would be no sex tonight and then suddenly hoping that she'd never be in a position to be thankful for no sex with Erica ever again.

"You were there, when I bought the teddies, weren't you?" Erica asked.

"I was. I was in the back, ducking behind a rack of push up bras. I saw you walk in and pay for the two teddies. I almost died of embarrassment because I'd been holding that very dildo in my hand when you walked in."

"So you don't read minds and teleport?" Erica asked, a gentle smile playing across her lips.

Callie sat down on the bed next to Erica and nuzzled her neck. "No, Erica, I wish I could. Because if I were able to read minds, I would have kissed you a lot sooner than I had. And I wouldn't have been so damn scared of it, either. But Erica, even if I can't read minds, I'm always with you- whether I'm hiding behind a rack of bras, or holding your hand in the Chief's office, or just there with you in your heart. I'm always with you."

Erica placed her hand on Callie's cheek and lowered her lips to Callie's. This kiss felt like their kiss outside of the hospital on the night after they'd saved cement boy. They were exhausted then, and both had been emotionally drained. But the kiss, oh the kiss. The kiss was fresh, sweet, invigorating and as simple then as it was now. Erica hoped there'd be a lifetime of kisses like these for the two of them.

"Cal?" Erica asked, gently pulling away from Callie's embrace.

"Mmm?" Callie asked, her tongue running over her lips, still tasting Erica there.

"I've got something to ask you, and it may sound a bit crazy."

"Not crazy like Cristina Yang crazy, please not crazy like that." Callie laughed as she rested her head back on Erica's shoulder.

"No, not that crazy, but still a bit crazy nonetheless. I know we said we'd take it slow. But in the past week we've kissed, we've moved in together, we had sex-sans-orgasms, and we came out to half of our coworkers. So this question may not sound so terrible after all."

"What?" Callie asked. Callie's expression was exactly like Erica's had been when she'd uttererd the same word the night Callie kissed her in front of the hospital. She couldn't imagine what Erica was building up to and she just couldn't take another emotional rollercoaster ride today.

"You wanna sleep in the guestroom anymore?" Erica said, actually sounding scared of her own words.

"Nuh-uh" Callie said as shook her head, relieved. Callie kissed Erica again lightly and stood to turn down the sheets to the bed.

"Good. Because I don't ever want to sleep without you again." Erica said as she switched off the light and closed the window shades. It may have only been 4:00 in the afternoon, but both women were exhausted. They slept a comfortable, dreamless sleep in each other's arms until the alarm clock woke them the next morning.


	18. Stereotypes and Fears

**A/N:** I do not own Grey's Anatomy or any of it's related characters or entities.

Are we ready for some fluff? Because after everything these ladies went through, it's time for my ladies to have some fun. Good, old-fashioned fun ahead. Angst later, maybe. But not today, and not tomorrow either. :-)

* * *

Morning, sunshine" Erica said as she nudged Callie.

"Hey." Callie said as she rolled over, taking Erica into her embrace.

Erica kissed Callie's forehead and nudged her into motion, calmly quelling Callie's advances. "C'mon, we've got a flight to catch."

Callie groaned, but got out of bed, racing Erica to the shower and throwing on her clothes. She couldn't wait to get away- and she couldn't wait to take Erica with her. Before she knew it, they were in the air, on their way to a much needed mini-vacation.

The flight had been very uneventful, so that did not prepare the two women for what awaited them at the baggage claim. Or rather, what did not await them at the baggage claim. The airline lost their luggage.

"Amsterdam?" Callie said, her voice rising with anger. "You sent our luggage to Amsterdam? How did it go to Amsterdam? I mean, we were only in the air for an hour!"

The young clerk behind the lost baggage counter was profusely apologetic, handing them vouchers to buy clothes and toiletries. Their luggage had been loaded onto a plane that had taken off for Amsterdam 45 minutes before they took off for their destination. By the time that plane landed in the Netherlands and the luggage could be located and then flown back to the States, the two women would already be back in Seattle. The baggage clerk told them of a nearby shopping mall that accepted those vouchers and apologized once again. Callie was desperately hoping that this was not an indication of what their entire weekend was going to be like.

Trying to head off an unnecessary panic attack, Erica wrapped her arm around Callie's waist and walked her away from the claim counter to pick up their rental car. Erica leaned into Callie and whispered "I'm going to be sorely disappointed not to use some of those toys you bought... but imagine the look on the security technician's face when those bags get scanned in Amsterdam on the way back. For a city known for it's red light district, they're going to think that you were leaving with a lot of souvenirs!"

Callie laughed, her thoughts racing back to the staircase at Erica's house. "I'm not that sorry. I don't think we need those toys. Your fingers were all I needed the other night on the stairs, and I'm sure that your mouth will be better than any toy in that sack of smut."

Now it was Erica's turn to laugh. "You, Dr. Torres, have a very dirty mind. But I happen to know from two very personal experiences that your fingers are truly amazing. It must be a surgeon thing. I am kinda sad though that I won't see you wear your teddy or that bathing suit we picked out."

Callie pulled Erica closer, whispering and sending chills down Erica's spine. "We won't need any of it. I want you naked all weekend long. I want you in that hotel room, naked, and screaming my name. I don't need any kind of clothing to get in my way."

Callie had to hold Erica up because the very thought had made her knees start to buckle. Staring deep into Callie's eyes, they moved in for a kiss, not caring who saw it. Callie was seconds away from sticking her tongue in Erica's mouth when the rental car clerk jingled the the car keys. "Slot 69, ladies."

"What?!" Erica growled, her defenses suddenly up.

"Our car is in spot number 69, Erica." Callie said calmly while taking the keys and steering Erica towards the parking field. "Take it as a sign and let's get the hell out of here."

The raced to the mall and bought a few toiletries and an outfit each to wear home. Neither bothered with anything else because they were going just for the weekend and, well, Callie did say that they wouldn't need clothes...

The ride from the shopping center to the spa was short but filled with tension, some of it of the stressful variety and some of it of the sexual variety. Erica was driving, but she couldn't keep her hands off of Callie. Callie gently reminded her that they were on winding mountain roads and that both of Erica's hands were needed on the steering wheel. When Erica started to pout, Callie leaned over across the seat and started kissing and suckling Erica's neck seductively while allowing her hands to wander along the front of Erica's body. When Erica almost drove off the road Callie sat back in her seat. Having nothing to occupy herself with for the moment, her thoughts turned to their reception at the spa.

"So what do you think is going to happen when we check in?" Callie asked Erica, nerves evident in her voice. Erica knew Callie was worried about this, about what people would think of two women checking in to the honeymoon suite. For Erica, the hardest part was already over. She'd come out to her colleagues. She knew further challenges awaited her when they returned to work, but for now, Erica was just looking forward to their weekend together.

"I think that they're going to treat us with respect, Callie. We're paying customers who happen to have booked the most exclusive suite in the spa. I expect them to kiss our asses. They don't need any negative customer comments, it'll be bad for their business." Erica took Callie's hand into her own. "Callie, we can't worry about what other people think of us. We've come too far with this to be concerned. As long as I'm with you, I'm happy. And I hope that someday you'll feel the same way about me, too."

"I already do, Erica, you know that." Callie replied. "But you don't think they'd turn us away, do you?"

"They wouldn't dare, Callie. Now sit back and relax. We're going to have the time of our lives this weekend. And in case I'm too exhausted or excited at the end of the weekend, let me thank you for this now. Because I know we're going to have a great time. We both needed some time away, and I can't tell you how happy I am to spend this time with you." Erica glanced over to see Callie's huge smile before returning her eyes to the road. "Oh, looks like we're here!"

Erica brought the rental up to the valet and handed him the keys, taking the ticket from him. Callie kept expecting to see some kind of look or hear some kind of remark, but the voice of reason, which had taken a backseat to her emotions during the past few days, quietly reminded her that there was nothing odd about two women getting out of a car to have it valet parked. A bellhop came over with a push cart and started to look for luggage to load on to it. Erica sent him away, mumbling something about lost luggage and the bellhop commenting that he was sorry to hear it.

The two walked up to the check-in counter and were greeted by a clean-cut, dark-haired man in his late thirties. He smiled up at the two of them as they approached and greeted them politely. Callie heard her voice crack just slightly as she told him who they were and what she'd reserved for them. Her hand shook a bit as she passed her credit card over to the man behind the counter. Instead of the shocked reaction she was expecting, he gave her a knowing smile. It was then that Callie noticed the pinhole in his ear where an earring had once been and heard the slight lisp in his voice. Callie relaxed instantly and she could hear Erica exhale behind her, too. He seemed to notice how nervous the two women were and he lowered his voice when he asked "First time out together, ladies?"

"Um, yeah..." Callie replied, blushing and lowering her eyes.

The man looked around before replying to her. "My boyfriend and I were just as nervous when we took our first vacation together. We're together 7 years now. It gets easier every day, believe me."

Callie smiled up at him and Erica said quietly "Thanks, you don't know how much that means to us."

Laughing slightly, he replied "Oh, but I do!" and he started keying in some information on the computer. "Okay, Doctors Torres and Hahn of Seattle..." the man said raising an eyebrow as he trailed off. Before either woman could question if something was wrong, he continued: "I see we've got the honeymoon suite booked through Monday. Tomorrow at 11:00AM I have you booked for in-room massages. If it's all right with you, I'll send Jessica and Amanda up to do the massages. They're not only the two best masseuses I have, but they're also, how should I say this... understanding of your lifestyle." More clattering on the keyboard as he grinned at them. "I can tell that this is a very special occasion for the two of you, so if you could excuse me for just one moment, I'd like to see if I can upgrade your accommodations. Just a moment please."

With that, he walked away and started speaking to another man in a suit. The man turned and looked over the two women, and to the women's surprise, smiled at them with something akin to recognition on his face. He then nodded his head to the man who was assisting Callie and Erica and the man returned.

"Ladies, you booked the honeymoon suite, but it turns out that this weekend, our 'Seclusion Cottage' is available. We'd like to put you up in that at no additional charge. It's a gorgeous cottage on our grounds, surrounded by a beautiful wooded area. There are full amenities there- living room, bedroom, deluxe spa bathroom, hot tub and a sauna, as well as a fully-stocked kitchen and your own personal swimming pool. Of course you'll have full access to our hotel staff and we will be happy to have room service bring you your meals- or you can call the front desk and we'll send a driver with a golf cart up to you to bring you down to the main hotel grounds." He couldn't help smiling at the open-mouth stares being given to him by the two women. "Surrounding the cottage are numerous hiking trails if you'd like to go out and get some fresh air or see the view. Now that I have you here, I'll send Jason up to your room with a bottle of champagne and a basket of strawberries." He said this as he gestured to the other man that he had conferred with earlier. "I hope you'll enjoy your stay, as we're happy to have you here. My name is William and if you need anything at all, please do not hesitate to contact me." He took a card out of his pocket and presented it to the two women. William, it turns out, was co-owner of the spa, according to the card. "If you'll come with me, I'd like to show you to our finest accommodations."

"OHMYGODTHANKYOUSOMUCH" Callie blurted out, probably a little bit too loudly. If anyone noticed, they didn't show it. Callie practically skipped out of the door behind William, while Erica chuckled to herself.

"_So much for stereotypes and fears_", Erica thought happily. This was going to be the best weekend ever! Before she knew it, she was half-skipping behind Callie and William too.

William pulled around front in a golf cart and was surprised at the women's lack of luggage. Callie hadn't stopped thanking him and it wasn't until Erica poked her between the ribs that she actually shut up long enough for Erica to explain what had happened to their bags. William said not to worry, he'd take care of it. Neither woman knew what to make of that, because neither had time to give it much thought. William had begun to drive the golf cart around towards the back of the hotel, past the pool and the tennis courts. The path that William took wound past a lake, and into a wooded area. The cottage was white with blue accents and was shaded in the front by a weeping willow tree. A perfectly manicured garden sat under the bay window in the living room, which looked out over the lake. Now it was William's turn to be exuberant.

"This is the pride and joy of our establishment," he said. "I'd like to give you the grand tour myself, if that's OK with you."

Callie and Erica followed him around the back where he used one of the two key cards in his hand to open the door. The door opened into the kitchen, which was small but modern and immaculate. William opened a few cabinets to show them that they were fully stocked, but also reminded them that room service was available and that the spa had four restaurants for them to choose from if they wanted to try any of them. He then walked them into the living room, where a plush couch faced a gas fireplace. In front of the couch was a wooden coffee table, with two overstuffed arm chairs to the left and right. William showed them how to use the fireplace and then walked back behind the couch to a wet bar. "Fully stocked, be sure to help yourselves!" William said as he opened the little fridge and pointed behind the bar.

Walking from the living room towards the back of the cottage, William showed them the bathroom, which was probably just as big as the kitchen and living room combined. In addition to the usual amenities such as a toilet and sinks, there was a bathtub built in to the floor that had to be at least three feet deep, and big enough to hold at least four people. William showed them how to use the controls on the tub to control temperature and the various water jets within the tub. To one side behind the tub was a glassed in shower with multiple shower heads and a bench to sit on. To the other side, there was what looked like a wooden closet of some sort, but it turned out to be a sauna. At the opposite end of the bathroom was a door. William showed them that the door lead outside to the hot tub area and pool. The area was enclosed by a privacy lattice that had red, yellow, white and pink roses growing through them. The vines were allowed to grow thick enough to ensure total privacy but were kept neatly trimmed and maintained. Two chaise lounges rested beside the pool and an umbrella was available to create shade, if needed.

Heading back in through the bathroom, William closed the door to the outside and showed them through a door located between the shower and the sauna. It opened up into a moderately-sized bedroom. A king-sized platform bed was the main focus of the room, to the left was another door out onto the same patio they had just come in from, and to the right was a door to the hallway leading back towards the bathroom, living room and kitchen.

In addition to the giant bed, there were two night stands and a walk-in closet. Across from the bed stood a dresser, upon which was a mirror that went from the top of the dresser straight to the ceiling. William walked over to a panel on the wall and showed them how to dim the lights, adjust the heating or air conditioning, and lower a flat screen television from the ceiling to in front of the mirror over the dresser. As William was raising the television set back up, the group heard a knock and a voice at the back door.

"Will?" Came the sound from the back of the house.

"Back here!" William said.

In walked a man about six feet tall, with blond hair and sporting a suit, also missing an earring from his ear. He was the same man that William had spoken to when they arrived and checked in, and he looked vaguely familiar to Erica. Jason pushed in a cart and stood just a little too close to William. It didn't take a mind reader to know that there was something between the two of them. Although his walk and mannerisms were not as muted as William's were, it was easy to see that when they worked, they too hid themselves from the rest of the world.

"Ladies, this is Jason, the co-owner of the resort with me. He's brought you the bottle of champagne that you requested as well as some strawberries. I also asked him to put together a picnic lunch for the two of you as I'm sure you're both tired and hungry after your trip up here. Jason, the airline lost their luggage. Can you put together something for the two of them that they can use while they're here this weekend?"

"Absolutely." Jason said as he sized up both women with his eyes. "Ladies, William told me a little bit about you two. When he told me that this was your first vacation together, we decided to try and make it as special as our first vacation together was. I really hope that you'll enjoy your stay, and if there is anything at all either of us can do for you, please don't hesitate to let us know. I'll be back in a couple of hours with some items to make your stay here more comfortable."

Now it was Erica's turn to thank the two men profusely as they closed the door behind them and took the two golf carts back to the hotel. After the door shut, Erica turned to Callie and just grinned at her. Callie took Erica's hand and lead her into the living room. She pulled Erica down on the couch next to her and began to fumble with opening the champagne. Erica took the bottle from her and popped the cork with skilled ease. She poured them two glasses and held hers out for a toast.

"To the best weekend ever." Erica said, grinning.

"To making it through our first week." Callie said, sharing Erica's grin.

"To us!" Erica said, and they touched their glasses together before drinking deeply.


	19. Finally!

**A/N:** These characters and this show are not mine.

I promised a few days of fluff, and here's another installment. Enjoy! ;-)

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Several glasses of champagne later, Erica couldn't remember when the giddy chatter about the owners of the spa turned over to dirty talk, but she loved every second of it.

"I don't know about you," Callie said as she slid closer to Erica on the couch, placing one hand on the inside of Erica's thigh, "but as William was showing us around, all I could think of were all the places inside of this cottage that I wanted to make love to you."

Erica placed a hand on Callie's cheek and pulled her in for a kiss before she replied. "Just inside? Because that hot tub and pool are looking mighty good right now."

"Mmm," Callie replied as she kissed Erica's neck and started unbuttoning her shirt. "But we're so much closer to the couch, and that was one of the places I had been thinking about."

Erica leaned in and started to undo the button at the top of Callie's jeans. Callie had gotten all of the buttons open on Erica's shirt and pushed it back off of her shoulders. She let her kisses trail down Erica's throat to her shoulder before she slid the straps of Erica's bra down. Reaching behind herself, Erica unclasped her bra. Callie used her teeth to pull it forward and off of her. Erica laid her hands on Callie's stomach under her shirt and then slid them upward, caressing Callie's breasts before sliding back down again. She fingered the hem of the shirt and kissed Callie lightly on the lips before pulling the shirt up over her head. Callie bent over and placed her mouth over one of Erica's nipples, sucking lightly before using her tongue to flick it. Erica used this opportunity to unclasp Callie's bra and pull it down Callie's arms. Callie removed her mouth from Erica's nipple and finished pulling off her own bra, tossing it backwards over her shoulder. She then leaned back in and took Erica's other nipple into her mouth, using her teeth to bring it to attention. Erica gasped and put her hands on Callie's cheeks, bringing her face back up towards hers. She kissed Callie deeply, letting her tongue dance while her hands roamed. She found Callie's breasts and smoothed her hands over them, using her thumbs to pay special attention to Callie's nipples. She then put her arms on Callie's back and pulled her in closer. When Callie felt like she couldn't touch anymore of Erica's body than she already was, Erica slid her hands down to Callie's bottom and grabbed each of her cheeks, pulling Callie's pelvis closer to her own.

Callie broke from their kiss to guide Erica back against the arm of the couch. She then kissed and licked her way from Erica's lips, meandering down the front of Erica's body and leaving a trail with her tongue. At Erica's pants, Callie stopped. She looked at Erica and grinned. Erica, who had been writhing under Callie's touch, brought Callie's hand to the button on her pants. Callie needed no further encouragement. She opened the fly on Erica's pants and slid her hand in. The wet heat that met her there caused her to moan in anticipation. Sliding her hand back out, she removed both Erica's pants and her underwear in one swift movement. Erica now lay naked before her, breathing deeply and reaching out for Callie. Callie slid back up the front of Erica's body and kissed her for as long as she could before coming up for air. As she broke away, Erica rolled out from underneath her and turned Callie over. She continued to kiss her while she finished opening Callie's pants. She snaked her way down to Callie's stomach and stuck her tongue in Callie's belly button. Callie groaned and tangled her fingers in Erica's hair, pulling her back up to eye level.

"I love you, Erica Hahn." Callie murmured as she kissed her sweetly, the taste of their bodies lingering on both of their lips.

"I love you, Callie Torres. I'm going to show you just how much, too." Erica said as she lowered herself back down near the top of Callie's pants. She slid them down and let them fall to the floor beside her. She then spread Callie's legs and started kissing her way up from Callie's knee to the inside of her thigh. When she reached the dark curls at awaited her, she used two fingers to spread Callie's lips apart. Leaning forward, Erica tentatively licked Callie's exposed clitoris before raising her head back up to look at Callie. Callie smiled at her and reached out, slowly guiding Erica's mouth back down. Erica began to suck at the clitoris, and when it became apparent that the sucking was too much too soon for Callie, she started to flick her tongue over it instead. Encouraged by Callie's moans and heavy breathing, Erica slid one finger inside of Callie as she continued to pleasure her with her mouth. Callie was nearly screaming at this point, so Erica placed a second, and then a third finger inside of Callie before she started to slide them in and out. Erica couldn't believe how sweet Callie tasted and began to lick up the juices that were readily flowing.

"Oh please, Erica," Callie breathed, the 'a' in Erica longer than normal. "Oh, oh please..."

Erica stopped for a second to see the effect she was having on Callie before she returned her attention to the swollen bundle of nerves that had completely peeked out of their hood. She swirled her tongue around it and sucked gently. Callie was making sounds that could only be considered primal and Erica knew that Callie was so close to release. She curled her fingers slightly inside of Callie and added a little more pressure to them. She then brought her lips firmly around Callie's swollen clit and hummed.

The sensation was unlike any other Callie had ever experienced. She felt her muscles contracting around Erica's fingers and placed more pressure on Erica's head while pleading for her not to stop what she was doing. Erica increased her pace. When it arrived, her orgasm caused Callie to scream with every wave of pleasure that washed over her. Erica moved up and allowed herself to be wrapped in Callie's arms. Callie was trembling as she reached up to kiss Erica. The kiss was deep and powerful. Together they rode out the last waves of Callie's orgasm.

It took a good five minutes for Callie to recharge. During that time they just held each other, kissing and whispering of their love to one another. When Callie could finally uncurl her toes and breathe again, she pushed up against Erica and kissed her, guiding her over on to her back. Callie ran her tongue down Erica's clavicle to her chest, and pulled one of her nipples into her mouth. She flicked her tongue and circled the nipple, giving Erica a sense of impending ecstasy. Moving over to the other nipple, Callie repeated what she'd done just moments ago and allowed her hands to lower themselves to Erica's sweet spot. Callie arranged one finger on either side of Erica's clitoris and started to rub, slowly and methodically using the sides of her fingers to bring Erica pleasure while her mouth continued to work Erica's chest. A groan escaped from the back of Erica's throat and she placed both hands on Callie's shoulders, urging her down further.

Callie kissed her way down to Erica's stomach, lingering over her belly button, all the while using her two fingers to massage the rosebud between Erica's legs. "Callie..." Erica hissed. She couldn't take the wait anymore, and Callie knew it. Slower still, Callie worked her way down between Erica's legs. When she got there, she used the two fingers that had been massaging Erica to enter in to her, and began to slide in and out at an excruciatingly slow pace. Looking Erica right in the eye, Callie lowered her mouth to Erica's pubic bone and slid her tongue down Erica's slit. Erica practically flew up off the couch. The electricity that single action created within her was like a charge to a stopped heart. Callie grinned and did it again, and again. Each time she allowed her tongue to linger longer, until she found a pace that suited Erica. She pulled Erica's clit into her mouth and began to suck and lick, suck and lick, increasing the intensity of both her mouth and the fingers inside of Erica.

Erica had been writhing so hard beneath Callie that the cushions on the couch began to come off. Callie remedied this by placing her free hand under Erica and guiding her pelvis upward, closer to Callie's mouth. Erica was now bucking up against her, desperate for the release which she had waited so long for. "Callie" Erica yelled, her legs splaying outward as she tried to scoot closer to Callie's mouth. "Oh ooooohhhhh, Callie!

Knowing that she was just seconds away from finally bringing Erica off, Callie pressed her mouth down harder and licked faster. She changed the angle of her fingers inside of Erica and added additional pressure. Finally, it was time. Erica's orgasm was truly explosive. As she screamed "Callllllieeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!" the undulations of pleasure took hold on her body, causing her pelvic muscles to frantically contract and expand. Callie lapped up the steady flow of juices brought about by Erica's orgasm, and removed her fingers from inside of Erica. She crawled her way back up to Erica, and kissed her, tasting both herself and Erica on her tongue. Callie wasn't finished yet though. While kissing Erica, she shoved three fingers back inside of her and used her thumb to bring Erica off again, in record time. Erica continued to scream Callie's name, but the scream was drowned out by Callie's kiss.

As her second orgasm subsided, Erica whispered to Callie. "What was that?"

Callie looked up at her and grinned. "I owed you two. Twice we were interrupted just before you came, so I owed you two."

Erica could do nothing but smile nod. Her body was still pulsating and she wasn't sure that she'd ever walk again after that. Callie held her close and kissed her gently. "Was it worth the wait?" Callie asked, uncharacteristically sheepish.

"Oh hell yeah" Erica grunted, pulling Callie closer to her as she laughed. Was it just a week ago that Callie had set out to make Erica laugh more? At times it felt like years ago, and at other times it felt like it was just yesterday.

The two dozed on the couch for a little while before waking up a bit more refreshed. Erica took Callie by the hand and led her to the bathroom, turning on the shower and adjusting the temperature. They washed each other down and kissed a lot. Callie believed the two had been completely sated by their escapade on the couch, but that was before she stepped in to the shower with Erica and Erica showed her all the fun things a person could do with a shower head. She was pretty sure that their screams could be heard all the way back up at the hotel, and she didn't care one bit.


	20. If the Dress Fits

**A/N:** These characters are not mine. They belong to ABC and the creators of Grey's Anatomy.

More fluff! Enjoy it while it lasts! :)

* * *

After their shower, they wrapped themselves in two robes and took the picnic lunch outside on the patio to eat it. As they were munching, the sound of a golf cart approaching interrupted their conversation. Jason had come back and had two bundles with him. Callie let him in through the kitchen door and took him back to the patio where they were eating. Jason had been tactful enough not to mention the clothes tossed all over the living room, the disheveled state of the couch cushions or the fact that it was mid-afternoon and the two women were sitting around in robes. This was the Seclusion Cottage, after all.

"William told me that the two of you had no luggage with you, so I took the liberty of picking up some things for the two of you. We hoped you wouldn't mind. One of the things I chose for each of you is a cocktail dress, because William and I would like to invite you over tomorrow night for a cocktail party. We don't normally invite spa guests to our home, but we thought that perhaps you'd enjoy some drinking, dancing and good food. We throw this party every year, and we figured, 'the more, the merrier'!"

Callie looked uncertainly at Erica. This was a little weird, wasn't it? It was great of these two guys to go so far out of their way to make them feel welcomed here, but a party with them? Wasn't that a bit much?

Sensing the reason for her hesitancy, Jason said to them both "I understand if the two of you would rather not come. But we'd love to have you there. William gave you his card, right? If you decide to come, please just give him a call. It's a fun night. We invite some of the staff from here and some of our close friends. There's a DJ, a dance floor, great food and lots of booze. William told me he suspected that the two of you weren't out among your friends and family, so this may give you an opportunity to let your hair down and just be yourselves. But if you're uncomfortable with it in any way, that's OK- we won't take offense if you decide not to be there."

"Thanks Jason, we'll definitely let you know." Erica was surprised at her response. She generally hated people that she didn't know, but the thought of just dancing the night away with Callie seemed appealing to her.

"If anything doesn't fit, just give me a ring. There's plenty more where that came from!" Jason said as he let himself out.

Walking to the first bundle of clothes, Callie opened it and was pleasantly surprised to see everything there was just her size. Erica's package contained clothing in her size as well. The color selections complemented each of their complexions perfectly. They left their lunch on the patio to go run in and try everything on.

"Can you believe this?" Callie asked as she pulled the cocktail dress on. Its cut accentuated her curves and the sight of her left Erica breathless.

"These are Jason Warner dresses, Callie. Do you know how expensive these things are?" Erica asked with trepidation in her voice as she tried to close the back of her dress.

"Jason Warner- isn't that odd? Why would Jason buy clothes from a designer with the same name as himself?" Callie asked as she helped Erica zip up the back of her dress. Then it hit them both. He hadn't bought dresses from a designer with the same name as himself. He WAS the designer!

"Oh. My. God." the two said simultaneously. Jason Warner was a world-famous women's clothing designer who was known to own a luxury spa with his partner, William Greenly. Callie ran over and checked the tags on the various outfits Jason had selected for them. No wonder everything fit and was so color-coordinated. They'd just been secretly made over by a world famous designer!

Callie was practically jumping up and down when she turned to face Erica. Erica was quiet and contemplative. "What is it, Er?" Callie asked.

"Warner. I knew that he looked familiar when I first saw him. Just now I thought it was because he's famous and he's usually all over the tabloids... but the patient that told me about this place, his name was Jack Warner. I'm pretty sure that he must be Jason's father, because Jason looks just like him. And I'm pretty sure that Jason was down at SGH after his father's surgery and that's where I'd seen him before. Amazing, isn't it?"

"You think he recognized you when we came in and that's why we're getting the royal treatment?" Callie asked.

"Absolutely. But I can't allow the two of them to treat us like this, Callie. It's unprofessional." Erica said.

"Why not? I mean, you saved his Dad's life. Why not let the two of them give us some time to come to terms with ourselves? That's all that they are doing."

"No Callie, that's not just what they're doing. They also gave us a five-thousand-dollar a night cottage and at least ten thousand dollars worth of designer clothes." Erica stated pointedly.

"But he's not your patient anymore, is he? I mean, you did his surgery and now he's on his way to recovery. It's not like they did all of this _before _his surgery, right?" Callie noticed a whine building up in her voice and she did her best to stop it before it further aggravated Erica.

"I guess, but it doesn't feel right." Erica said, her resolve weakening.

"You think that he knew about you before you knew about you?" Callie asked Erica to change the subject. She wanted those clothes! "The patient, I mean. Do you think he knew that you had feelings for another woman before you did?"

"Why would you say that, Callie?" Erica looked dumbfounded.

"Because why else would he recommend this place to you?" Callie asked. "I mean, do you get spa recommendations from all of your patients? I remember that afternoon, over the 'Sapphic Salads'. We were teasing Mark, but I couldn't get enough of you. When you rested your head on my shoulder, I got light headed. I didn't want to go there though, and I kept clinging to Mark, literally hoping he'd keep me straight. But you felt it too, that day, because you kissed me in the elevator on the way home. That was the same day that your patient recommended this place to you. I think he knew. I think he could sense how confused you were. He probably knew that his son would welcome you here with open arms."

Erica rolled her eyes and put her hands on her hips. "I seriously doubt that, Callie. I think it was a father who was proud of his son's accomplishments and wanted to drum up some business for him. I don't deny how much I wanted you, that day or any other in the recent past," Erica grinned, "but I don't think that he could sense it. He couldn't have."

"But I did. I sensed it. I sensed it before Addison even brought it up. I sensed it but didn't know it. It sat there, smoldering, in the back of my head until Addison mentioned it. Then it turned into a blazing inferno that wouldn't go out until I kissed you. So if I could sense it, why couldn't he?" Erica felt that sometimes Callie could really take her mind reading to ridiculous depths. Erica _had_ been completely confused that night. For a while she'd actually been jealous that Sloan had picked Callie over her, but Erica had never been one to get the guy, no matter how big her crush. The fact that she'd turned him down the night she was waiting for Callie by the elevators didn't help matters. But after a while, she'd realized that she'd pushed Sloan away because she didn't want him to interfere with what she'd had with Callie. In the beginning, the friendship was amazing. The fun nights out, the camaraderie, and the dancing were all unbelievably fun for Erica. Callie could really dance, and when Erica was out dancing with her, she was able to let go of most of her worries and inhibitions. Most of them. Callie had been her biggest inhibition for so long that it had become painful to dance across with her and not touch her. Erica wouldn't let that deter her though- at least Callie was there dancing with her and they were having fun.

Then came that fateful night on the elevator. Erica had loved playing with Mark's head. She loved it though, because it was the closest she could come to flirting with Callie without actually flirting with Callie. Things really got out of hand in that elevator though. Erica had let her mind wander over every dirty thought Callie had verbalized. Her responses were really on autopilot because she'd been imagining a twosome with Callie while Callie teased Mark about a threesome. She didn't even realize that she was leaning in to kiss Callie until she felt Callie gasp under her lips. And by then it was too late- she had to finish her charade or risk embarrassing them both. She lay awake that entire night, missing the feel of Callie's skin under her thumb and reliving that kiss, and wondering- no hoping- Callie was doing the same thing.

Freaked out a bit by her revelation about her feelings for Erica, Callie switched topics back to the clothing and didn't even notice Erica's retrospective. "Anyway, we'll have to give them back all of these gorgeous clothes and turn down the invitations to the party of the century if you feel it's unprofessional." Callie said with a pout while she held a pair of seven-hundred-dollar jeans to her heart like they were a teddy bear.

"Fine." Erica gave in, her resolve melting at the sight of Callie's pout. "But after the party, we don't accept any more favors from those two, got it?" Erica said, but she was having a hard time keeping her stern expression as she watched Callie's eyes light up.

"Can we get manicures and pedicures tomorrow after our massages?" Callie grinned like a five-year-old who'd just been promised a trip to the toy store.


	21. Sounds like a Proposal

**A/N:** Standard disclaimer: these characters are not my own. They belong to the writers and creators of Grey's Anatomy.

More fluff. Enjoy it, things get serious for a while after this. ;-)

* * *

That night, after they'd tried on all of their new clothes and called William to tell them that they'd be at the party the next evening, the two women walked down to the hotel's main grounds to explore for a little while. They stopped at the concierge's desk and arranged for a car service to pick them up and return them to the hotel after the party. They both wanted to be able to drink and they didn't want to drive themselves back to the spa afterwards. They also stopped in the salon and made appointments for their hair and nails the following afternoon. After all of their arrangements had been made, they walked to the poolside restaurant for dinner. Despite the great lunch that Jason had made for them, the two were starving. Lovemaking burns a lot of calories, after all.

"I am so hungry; I could eat one of everything on this menu." Callie said as she perused the offerings. Since it was a poolside restaurant, the menu was somewhat limited and the choices were geared more towards the casual diner. That suited Callie just fine. Erica, being the heart surgeon, was concerned about things like fat and calories and cholesterol.

"There's an awful amount of fried foods on this menu." Erica said.

"Fried foods are in no way awful, Erica." Callie said back playfully.

"I'm just saying that for a spa, they could have chosen some healthier options for their menu, that's all."

"Do you want to go to one of the other restaurants?" Callie asked, trying to keep the aggravation out of her voice.

"No, it's all right. We'll try one of the other restaurants for lunch tomorrow." Erica said, not realizing that Callie had even begun to get aggravated.

Considerably calmer after realizing that Erica wasn't going to make her give up her precious fried foods, Callie said "I'm thinking room service tomorrow."

"Why?" Erica asked, confusion written all over her face.

"Because," Callie said with a sly grin, "I'm going to have you naked and screaming my name all day, remember?"

Blushing, Erica let her eyes fall back down to the menu, but she lifted her foot out of her sandal and pressed it in against Callie's crotch across the way, letting her touch do the answering for her.

Despite the first class service and the fantastic food that even Erica had to admit was delicious; dinner was painfully slow for the two women. The game of footsie had started and the two women were having a harder and harder time keeping their hands and feet off of one another. By the time they paid the check, Erica was ready to crawl under the table and cause Callie to scream like in the movie "When Harry Met Sally." The waiter brought them the check just in the nick of time. The two women left the restaurant and walked back towards their cottage. Even though William had offered them a golf cart and driver whenever they needed it, the two felt that the view was too pretty to miss and decided walking was their best option.

As they circled the lake, hand in hand, Callie looked over to Erica and gave her a huge smile.

"What's so funny?" Erica asked, reflecting Callie's smile with one of her own.

"I'm not laughing. But I am so terrifically happy that I had to stop and look at you and make sure that it was really you that was holding my hand. This all feels a little unreal to me. I can't believe that I'm here with you. Heck, I'm still in shock a week later that when I kissed you for the first time, you didn't slap me!" Callie stopped walking and just held Erica's hand for a moment.

"I know Cal. I was shocked when you kissed me. I had all these feelings for you that were really scaring me. I really didn't think you felt the same way about me because of your relationship with Sloan. I guess you were in as much denial as I was. I mean, in your own words, I like penis. But when you kissed me, I knew that I had just been fooling myself when it came to you. I couldn't ignore the feelings you started up in me. You were all I could think about, and you still are."

"It feels like a dream, Erica. A really, really great dream. And if it is a dream, I don't ever want to wake up." Callie whispered.

Erica took Callie into her arms and held her close before she whispered "It's not a dream, Cal. It's life and I'm going to share it all with you. I really don't know how I lived before you came into my life. I don't ever want you to leave it, you hear me? Because I don't think I could go on if you left."

"I'm not going anywhere, Erica. Before you, I lived for each day, just one day at a time because that was all I could handle. But now, I think about the future and I imagine an entire life with you. It's only been a week Erica, but I already know that I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Do you think you could spend the rest of your life with me?"

"That sounds like a proposal, Callie." Erica said.

"It is, in a way. I know we're new to this and that we've got so much to work out. I know it's only been a week that we're a couple. I know we tried to take it slow and that didn't really work too well, not that I'm complaining." Callie interjected that last bit with a small laugh. "I'm not proposing marriage or whatever it is that two women can do, but I am proposing this: I propose to love you for the rest of my life. I want to hold you and grow old with you. I want to fall asleep with you in my arms every night and wake up to your beautiful face every morning. Maybe there will come a time when we're ready to go before our family and friends and do the whole marriage thing, but for now, I am just promising you my love. If I promise you that, do you think you could spend the rest of your life with me?" Callie asked her question again.

This time, Erica didn't hesitate. "Absolutely. I love you, Callie. And even though it's only been a week, if you had proposed to me right now, I would have, without a doubt, said yes."

Both women had tears in their eyes as they leaned in for a kiss that seemed to last for hours.

When they arrived back at their cottage, Callie recommended a dip in the pool. It was really warm outside and the steamy kiss beside the lake had them both a bit hot and bothered. Kicking off their shoes, Erica went over to the pile of clothes that Jason had dropped off for them and was dismayed to see that there was no bathing suit in there. Callie used her mind reading skills to assess the situation. "Um, naked and screaming my name, remember?" She asked without Erica having to say a word.

Maintaining her silence, Erica took Callie by the hand and led her out on to the patio. She brought Callie to one of the chaise lounges next to the pool and guided her to sit down in it. She kneeled before Callie and kissed her lightly while she worked open the clasp on Callie's pants. Getting them open, she pulled them down gently, and then proceeded to fold them and place them neatly on the lounge next to Callie. Callie smiled. Erica was going to take her time with this... and she was really going to enjoy every second of it. Next, she worked her underwear down, and then pulled off Callie's socks one at a time. Moving upward again, Erica kissed Callie once more on the lips before moving towards her neck. She kissed the tender spot under Callie's earlobe and Callie let out a contented sigh. It wasn't long before Erica's hands found the top button to Callie's shirt and she began to unbutton them. With each button that she opened, Erica kissed a different part of Callie's face. Once over each eye, once on each cheek, once under each earlobe. At the last button, Erica placed a kiss on Callie's lips once again, sliding her tongue into Callie's mouth as she slid the shirt off of Callie's shoulders and down her arms. Erica used the shirt to hold Callie's arms down while she nuzzled Callie's breasts through her bra. Callie tossed her head back, enjoying the slight restriction of both her arms and the control that Erica had over her at that moment. Finally removing Callie's shirt, Erica folded it as well and placed it on top of the neat pile she'd made on the lounge. All that remained on Callie now was her bra. With a skill that both impressed and surprised her, Erica slid one hand behind Callie's back and with a flick of her wrist, had the bra open. Callie moved one hand up to remove it, but Erica gently pushed Callie's hand away and kissed her. Undressing Callie was like unwrapping a present and Erica wanted to savor every second of the process. Erica slowly pushed the straps of Callie's bra down her shoulders, and then removed it completely while leaving a trail of kisses down the middle of her chest. Erica leaned back on her heels to admire the beauty that was Callie Torres. Completely naked and under the loving scrutiny of Erica Hahn, Callie felt that Erica had way too much clothing on her. So she stood up and kissed Erica, signaling to her that she wanted to unwrap her own gift.

Callie was less meticulous about undressing Erica. She didn't bother to fold the clothes; instead she let them fall around Erica as she worked her way from her shirt down to her undies. The only sounds that could be heard was the gentle lapping of the pool's filter, the breezy rustle of clothes as they were removed and the rapid breathing of the two women. Neither woman had said a word. They didn't need to. Erica once again took Callie's hand and she led them down the stairs into the pool, the cool water doing nothing to dampen the desire they felt.


	22. Not a Walk in the Park

**A/N:** Grey's anatomy and it's characters are the property of Shonda Rhimes and ABC.

One last little bit of fluff before things get serious for a while. But just a little while. ;-)

* * *

Late the night before, completely waterlogged and totally exhausted, the two women climbed from the pool and headed to bed. As the sun rose the following morning, it sent beams of light across the bed where the two women lay tangled in each other's limbs. Callie awoke first and found herself face to face with Erica, watching her as she slept. Callie remembered how George used to watch her sleep and it would always freak her out when she woke up. She wondered if Erica would feel the same way if she did it to her, though she didn't think Erica would mind. There was an unspoken need between the two of them to watch over and protect one another. Callie had a feeling that Erica would smile at her as soon as she awoke, and would pull her in for a tender kiss, because that's just how Erica was. Callie simply waited and watched as Erica's chest rose and fell with her calm breaths. Erica was a peaceful sleeper, she barely moved from the position in which she'd fallen asleep. As the minutes ticked by, Callie's patience seemed to wane, but she still couldn't bring herself to wake Erica. The sight of her was simply too beautiful and she used this time to try to commit her every feature to memory. Eventually Erica woke and found herself staring right into the coffee-colored depths of Callie's eyes. They say the eyes are the windows to the soul, and at that very moment, she saw Callie's. Erica liked what she saw there- warmth, love, happiness and hope. She hoped her own eyes reflected the same thing as she leaned forward and kissed Callie gently.

"Morning." Erica whispered when they drew away from one another.

"Hey." Callie whispered back.

"Did you sleep well?" Erica asked, wrapping her arm over Callie and leaning her forehead against hers.

"Mmm." Callie said by way of a reply. "You?"

"Like a baby." The two women remained wrapped in each others arms for a little while longer before Erica spoke again. "When I wake up with you next to me, I feel like I'm still dreaming. I dreamt of you for weeks, wishing for moments just like this. Maybe it sounds funny, but I enjoy these moments more than I enjoy the sex. And the sex is pretty damn hot. Does that make any sense? I'm just trying to say that now that I have you here next to me, it almost feels too good to be true."

Callie pushed a lock of hair out of Erica's eyes before she replied. "I know exactly what you mean. I wake up and feel the same way about you. I feel like I've finally arrived at where I always should have been. I've never felt so content as when I wake up wrapped in your arms, Erica. I hope that this feeling never ends- because it's the best feeling ever."

"What feeling is that?" Erica asked playfully, rubbing her nose against Callie's and already knowing what Callie's reply would be.

"Love. Your love." Callie said as she planted a passionate kiss on Erica's lips. The kiss lingered and the women drew closer to one another, but both knew there wasn't enough time to do much more than that. Their masseuses would be here within the hour, so instead the two got up, put on their robes, and headed to the kitchen for a light breakfast. As an afterthought on the way to the kitchen, Callie asked "But the sex _is_ really good, right?"

"Sure is!" Erica replied, laughing at the insecurity she had just inadvertently created within Callie. "Better than I've ever experienced, Callie. Really. Don't get what I just said to you wrong. I love you _and_ I love making love to you."

"Good." Callie said as she sat down to a bowl of cereal. "Because I'm pretty sure I've never had so many orgasms in such a short period of time, even with Mark Sloan."

Callie's mention of Mark's name drew a face from Erica, but Erica couldn't hold it for long before she cracked up. Suddenly she was giving the dirty pretty man whore a run for his money, and it turned out she was kicking his ass. It made her feel good.

While Callie laughed with Erica, it dawned on her that despite all of the time that they had spent together, this was the first time they'd had breakfast without having to run off to the hospital. She liked having a leisurely breakfast with Erica and she pictured herself doing this every day for the rest of their lives. No wonder they call breakfast the most important meal of the day. It has nothing to do with nutrition, unless you consider it nutrition for the soul.

Promptly at 11:00 there was a knock at the back door. Still clad in her robe, Callie opened the door and helped the two masseuses bring in their equipment. The women introduced themselves as Jessica and Amanda. The two were slightly younger than Callie and had a hint of a Canadian accent.

Amanda started out by saying that she'd go set up the bed in the bedroom for the two of them while Jessica would explain the type of massage they would do for the next two hours. According to Jessica, the two masseuses would do a Swedish massage, followed by hot stone treatment, and then they would teach the two women a couple's massage technique so that they could do their own massages on each other if they ever wanted to.

Jessica led them back down the hall to the bedroom, where Amanda had set up towels on the bed and had laid out various oils, and had plugged in a machine that looked to Callie's orthopedics-trained mind like a hydroculator, a machine that warms towels for use in heat therapy during physical therapy.

"Is that what I think it is?" Callie asked Amanda, looking at the machine.

"What do you think it is?" Amanda asked by way of a reply.

"A hydroculator." Callie answered.

"Give the woman a prize!" Jessica giggled. "She's the first person to ever correctly identify that thing."

"We use it to warm towels. We use the towels periodically to help relax your muscles. Are you a massage therapist?" Amanda asked.

"No, I'm an orthopedic resident in Seattle. I've seen those machines in physical therapy offices and that's why I recognized it." Not wanting to leave out Erica, Callie then said "My girlfriend is a world-class heart surgeon. We work together at Seattle Grace Hospital." Callie relished in introducing Erica as her girlfriend. She also loved that she could brag about Erica's surgical skills. Unbeknownst to Callie, Erica also secretly relished Callie's pride in her skills.

"Oh, you're the doctor who operated on Jason's dad!" Jessica exclaimed, turning her attention to Erica. "Jason told us you were here but we didn't know we'd be giving you massages! Jason is so thrilled that he could thank you for saving his dad's life. He really idolizes his dad, and he was worried sick about him. He had him flown down to your hospital as soon as he was diagnosed because he wanted nothing but the best for his father. It thrilled him to no end that the two of you came here to his spa."

"Well," Erica said, her cheeks flushed with uncharacteristic modesty, "I'm glad we could be here too."

Over the next two hours, while Callie and Erica had their every tension massaged out of them, Jessica and Amanda talked to them a bit about their lives and their work at the spa. It turned out the two were Canadian citizens who spent two weeks at a time at the spa doing their massages. They then flew home again for two weeks before coming back to work. Callie thought that was an interesting arrangement and asked why the two didn't just move to the States to make things easier.

"Because our marriage wouldn't be recognized here." Amanda said sadly.

"Oh, you're married?" Callie asked, not realizing that the two women were their own couple.

"Six years now." Jessica said with pride evident in her voice. "How about the two of you? How long have you been together?"

"One week." Erica said, laughing a bit.

"Really?" Amanda asked. "The two of you reminded me of a couple that had been together for a long time. That's a good sign, you know. You're a perfect match for one another when people think you've been together for a long time, even if you haven't been. It shows just how comfortable you are with one another."

"Thanks!" Callie said. "Officially we've only been together for a week, but the two of us have really been in love for a lot longer than that. It just took us a while to get over ourselves and realize that our feelings for each other were mutual and that we had nothing to be afraid of."

"Scary stuff, eh?" Jessica asked. "Have you told your families yet?"

At that question, both women tensed right up. "I'm thinking that based on the tension I just felt build up in her back, the answer to that question is no, Jessica." Amanda said good-naturedly as she started ease Callie's back again.

"Sorry I asked, ladies." Jessica said, genuinely remorseful for asking such a sensitive question.

"Uh, no problem." Callie replied, even though it was going to be a big problem. A huge problem, actually. Suddenly coming out to Cristina Yang and the Chief had been a walk in the park. How the hell had she forgotten that she was going to have to tell her parents about Erica?


	23. History in the Making

**A/N:** I am getting so tired of these disclaimers. I don't own Grey's Anatomy or any of the related entities. I think I've said that enough by now. If the scary copyright people have not noticed them already, then they're not doing their jobs. :p

I realized as I got to this point that we as Grey's fans know next to _nothing_ about Erica Hahn. So I had to make up a history for her, and that history had to be one that could mold her into the character she plays today. I hope that I did a good job. I went back and watched some of the episodes where she first appeared (like when Burke got shot) just to see what I could come up with, but those sneaky Grey's writers, they did this on purpose... leaving us wondering about Erica. I really hope that we get to know her (and Callie) a lot better in season five, don't you? :)

So, without further ado, here's Erica's life, according to me.

* * *

The afternoon before the party went by in a flash. As soon as their massages were over, the two showered (separately, alas), dressed and walked back to the main hotel grounds for their manicures, pedicures and hair appointments. Erica noticed that Callie had been exceedingly quiet since Jessica asked her question about telling their families, but the two were never alone long enough to talk about it. That may or may not have been due to the fact that Callie appeared to be trying to avoid Erica. Erica knew why and was trying to give Callie enough space to sort through her thoughts, but not enough space that she disappeared entirely.

Erica didn't have to worry about telling her family about her new lifestyle. Erica hadn't spoken to her family more than a handful of times since she was an undergrad, so it wasn't like she owed them any kind of explanation for anything. The offspring of two emotionless surgeons, Erica had finally severed all ties with her parents when she finished medical school. She didn't need their money back then- she had earned scholarship after scholarship and basically the first four years after high school were a free ride. She moved to New York for her undergraduate education and never looked back.

Erica always found it hard to believe that her mother had carried her inside of her for nine months, but never took the time to get to know her growing up. Erica's mother had made it known to her early on that she was a detriment to her- an accident that more than once her mother had come close to aborting. During her childhood, Erica learned to ignore the faces her mother made at her when she asked questions about her work or tried to crawl up into her lap while she was going over her charts. It wasn't until she was in elementary school that Erica learned that not everyone had a babysitter who lived with them and who knew them better than their own parents did.

Leaving home just before her eighteenth birthday, Erica realized that she'd grown up amongst strangers. She'd wondered if kids in orphanages had often felt the same way she did. But the lack of support and emotion hadn't stopped Erica for hoping that one day her parents would come around and recognize her for the person she had become. By the time Erica had gotten to college she was driven to be the best that she could be, because maybe- just maybe her parents would notice her. It never worked though. Her parents were too absorbed in their own careers to know that she even existed. They didn't bother to come to her undergraduate graduation- despite the fact that Erica had been chosen valedictorian.

Her medical school education was a bit different- despite graduating at the top of her undergraduate class, medical school scholarships were few and far between. She financed her education through loans and, because she'd made herself into one of the top heart surgeons in the world, she'd had her pick of top salaries to choose from upon her graduation. She'd been able to pay off her student loans in 3 years, a feat that truly amazed her. Medical school had been a fantastic challenge for Erica. She'd had to compete and that competition let her take her mind off of some of her hurt for the time being. She'd tried to engage her parents while she was in medical school, but they showed little interest in her or her chosen career path.

The final blow to Erica's relationship to her parents came in the form of a letter from her father. The class rankings at Johns Hopkins had been posted, and Erica was crushed to find out she'd ranked second to none other than Preston Burke. Adding insult to injury, one of her professors knew her father in a professional capacity and let him know that Erica had worked her way to the number two spot in her class. Her professor had meant it as a compliment, but Erica's father took it as an insult. He wrote to her to tell her how ashamed he was of Erica's failure to take the top spot in her class. He told her that he didn't want to associate with her because her failure to be the best would tarnish his own reputation. The letter arrived the day before graduation and Erica had been unable to move from her bed after reading it. The night of her graduation ceremony, dressed in her cap and gown, Erica had stood before the bathroom mirror holding a scalpel to her throat, waiting for the courage to come so that she could just slit it and end it all. Instead, scared of her own reflection and what she saw there, she learned for the first time how to close up her heart, lock it all away, and work harder so that moments like these would not happen again. She'd let the scalpel clatter to the floor and left it there, walking out of her apartment and into the world as a driven surgeon who longed to surpass her parents in every way. She'd done a damn fine job of it, but at quite a cost to herself.

Despite her lack of contact with her parents, Erica had made it a point to keep tabs on them and their careers. She knew that her father's health was failing and that the two of them had retired as little more than mediocre surgeons with few achievements to their names. For a while she'd been deeply satisfied knowing that, but the time she'd spent in therapy had shown her that finding pleasure in other people's failures was not normal and was not healthy.

Throughout all of her years practicing medicine, Erica's only regret was that she had become just as emotionless as her parents were. She'd been a latchkey kid growing up, she lived alone on campus in college and she'd used her student loans to get an apartment by herself during medical school. Relationships with other people were extraordinarily difficult for her. She'd dated men up until she'd met Callie, but most of them stopped calling her after the second or third date because of how emotionally unavailable she'd been. They'd been attracted to her skill and confidence, and then turned off by her inability to relate to them on any level. Erica discovered how hard it is to try to love someone when you've never really felt loved yourself. She'd been frustrated by the impatience of the men she'd dated, not a single one of them had ever given her the chance to warm up to them. After a while, she found herself guilty of her parent's own crime. She would pick up a guy when she needed a sexual release and then she'd let the disappointment of a lack of emotional connection wash over her the next day. Tired of the continuing frustration, Erica began to freeze everyone out, and it got easier and easier to do as she worked her way through the big boys club of cardio-thoracic surgery. Erica became the master of the blue-eyed laser stare, the snide remarks, the pursed lips and the ability to crush interns and residents alike. The power she held over patients and doctors alike replaced her need for more physical relationships.

All of that had worked for a long time, until she came to Seattle Grace.

The night it stopped working came after an extremely emotional day in the OR. Neither of them knew it, but that night Callie would suddenly become the world to Erica. Callie simply offered her friendship to Erica, and in doing so, she melted away all of Erica's defenses. Erica was so surprised to find herself actually _feeling_ for the first time in a very long time. Instead of feeling lonely, angry and awkward, for the first time in her life Erica had started to feel happiness. She craved spending time with Callie. Callie seemed to understand her on a level that she didn't even understand herself. Callie wasn't put off by Erica's forced emotional distance. She just worked her way right in underneath it, and she'd planted herself in Erica's heart quickly and quietly.

Eventually Erica had started to feel a bit more outgoing and even allowed herself to have fun for the first time since she could remember. Callie had finally awakened the human being inside of Erica that her parents had tried to flush out of her with a steady dose of put-downs and detachment. She continued to surprise Erica every day with her ability to smile and go through life in as carefree a manner as she did. Erica knew that Callie had been deeply hurt by George's infidelity, but she had learned to accept it and hadn't let it crush her. Erica wanted to learn how to do that from her and Callie had become a willing, if unknowing teacher. Callie had quickly replaced Erica's career as the focus of her life, and for a while Erica had been terrified of what she was feeling. Her career had always been the one steady, sure thing in her life. She trusted her career because she controlled her career, and now, suddenly, she was focusing more on another woman. A woman that she'd allowed herself to trust. In the beginning, it didn't make sense to Erica at all, but for some reason that she still cannot explain, she went with it.

Because it had been so long since Erica had allowed herself to feel anything, she thought she was so out of practice that she'd skipped right over feelings of friendship for Callie and went straight to feelings of love. Love for another woman. The thought of it had made her wish she could just go back to freezing everyone out- including Callie. But that defense didn't work on Callie and instead she found herself slipping further and further into her feelings. She dreamt of Callie at night, and they weren't always dirty dreams (though Erica happily admitted that some of them were). She often woke up smiling, because in her dream Callie had been there with her, sharing a laugh or just holding her hand. She'd spent endless hours talking to Dr. Wyatt about the situation she'd put herself in, about questioning her own sexuality, and each hour of therapy frustrated her more than the last. Dr. Wyatt, in her own way, had told Erica that Callie embodied all of the aspects of love that Erica had been craving all of her life, so why not just go with it? Did it really matter that Callie was a woman? Was it worth it to lose out on this opportunity for much-needed and much-deserved love simply because Callie was a woman?

Dr. Wyatt had pointed out to Erica that Callie had become her best friend and her confidante, and that she should speak to her about her feelings. She told Erica that she'd bottled up so much within herself in the past, and she asked her to look at what it had done to her emotionally. Warning Erica, she told her that if she kept her feelings for Callie bottled up, it would do so much worse. In that one area, Erica thought that Dr. Wyatt was the one who needed therapy, and she'd nearly walked out of her session. What would happen if she'd told Callie and then Callie just cut her out of her life? She was her only true friend and Erica would not risk losing her. Because of that she simply could not just tell Callie about her feelings for her. Her fear of a rejection by Callie had put her perilously close to the night of her med school graduation. Making matters worse, Callie had begun to push her away after Addison's visit and she had started running to Sloan instead of coming to Erica with her problems. Shocking herself, she had confronted Callie in the scrub room, telling her how hurt she was by this turn of events but not telling her about the fact that she'd fallen hard for her best friend.

Finally, Callie said it for her. It had been the happiest night of her life, the night Callie had approached her and kissed her. Seeing Callie's own insecurity had melted away the last of any ice that was left in Erica's heart. She'd realized in the seconds leading up to that fateful kiss that Callie had been just as scared and confused as she had been. In the clarity of those few seconds, she understood why Callie had been running to Sloan. And when Callie kissed her, Erica was still so shocked and surprised that it took her precious seconds to respond. But she did respond finally, and the rest became history.

The friendship that had formed between she and Callie hadn't yet allowed Erica to tell her everything about her. Erica rarely brought up her childhood or her time in school. When she did have to make references to it, they were vague and didn't leave opportunities for further questions. Erica also hadn't told Callie that she was seeing Dr. Wyatt. She knew Callie would support her and would not be put off by her therapy at all, but admitting it to anyone felt like a failure to Erica and Erica did not take failure well.

Despite the physical distance that separated Callie from her family, Erica knew that she was quite close to them. She also knew that as much as Callie did not want to rely on her family for things like money and material support, she enjoyed knowing that they were there for her if she ever needed them. Callie had a lot to lose if her parents cut her out of their lives, and it wasn't just the fortune she was set to inherit. Unlike herself, Erica knew that Callie would be unable to just lock away the hurt and move on with her life. Callie needed her family. Erica knew she'd try to be all of the family that Callie needed, but that may not be enough. That thought caused Erica to sweat. What if Callie's family cut her out of their lives and Callie decided to cut Erica out of her life to get back in their good graces? Ever the master at masking emotion, locking away feeling and bulldozing through disappointment, Erica knew that she'd be unable to mend her own heart if that happened. Callie had reached in too deep, and her life was now intricately intertwined with Erica's. If she took her love away, it would leave Erica irreparably torn. Nothing could ever refill that void. Erica knew she'd live if that happened, but it would be living the same way patients on life support did- breathing and pumping blood, but never waking up from the nightmare that would become her life. She'd fought her own inner demons too long and too hard to lose Callie now, but she wouldn't have a choice if Callie chose her family over her.

If it came down to it, Erica would let Callie go just to save her the heartache of losing her family. She'd break her own heart to save Callie's if she had to. She couldn't live with herself if she knew that Callie was longing for something that she couldn't provide for her. But at the same time, Erica was determined to make sure that Callie knew that she'd always be her home, her family and her love whether or not her blood relatives were included in her life. And she'd continue to fight for Callie if she lost her, because the thought of coming in second again was too much to bear. She'd been through losing her family and she knew she could offer support to Callie if that happened. But she didn't know if it would be enough.

When she left the salon, Callie was already waiting outside for her. Even the incongruity of her beautiful hair and makeup against her wrinkled jeans and t-shirt took Erica's breath away. Smiling, she took Callie's hand in her own and told her she looked beautiful. Callie simply nodded, the emotions ripping through her too quickly to allow her more of a response. Understanding this, Erica let it go for now. She needed to develop a plan to help Callie through her inevitable discussion with her family. This wasn't something she was going to let her go through alone. Together, the two of them walked back to the cabin masked in a tense silence.


	24. Just Breathe

**A/N:** Oh no! Angst alert! :D

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Back in the cabin, Erica shut the door and led Callie to the bedroom, where she took her into her arms. Callie couldn't look her in the eyes and it broke Erica's heart.

"Let's not go to the party, Callie." Erica said simply.

"What? No-" Callie's reply told her no, but her eyes begged for them to just stay home.

"Want to tell me what's wrong?" Erica asked.

"Nothing. Nothing's wrong. Why would anything be wrong? Nothing's wrong." Callie stammered.

"Really big trauma?" Erica said, laughter highlighting her eyes.

Confused, Callie just shook her head. She knew she was going to cry and it was going to ruin her makeup. Jessica's question about telling their families had been playing in her head since the massage and it had taken every ounce of Callie's strength not to burst into tears up until this point. Callie knew that Erica could tell she was upset and she just couldn't understand why Erica was not as upset at the prospect of coming out to her own family as Callie was. When it came down to it, Callie knew in her gut that she was going to have to choose between Erica and her family and she desperately wanted them both.

"Really. Big. Trauma." Erica repeated as she sat Callie down on the bed and squatted in front of her.

"What?! I don't get it, OK?" Callie snapped and despite her efforts the tears started to roll down her face.

"Shh. Callie, it's all right." Erica said quietly, her thumbs brushing away Callie's tears as they started to fall.

"What's all right, Erica? You don't even know what's wrong!" Callie screamed.

Erica decided to use Callie's own method to work out the problem. "Can I take a guess?" Erica didn't even wait for Callie to reply. "You're as flustered as you were the day Cement Boy came in to the ER and you kept repeating 'really big trauma' over and over again. This time though, it's not dirty thoughts of me that are doing it to you." Erica's joke brought a feeble smile to Callie's face but her tears continued to fall. Erica decided to cut to the chase. "Jessica asked you about telling your family about us and it scared you, didn't it?"

Sniffling, Callie nodded. She knew that Erica was mirroring her own method of therapy and part of her was flattered to see that she'd appreciated it enough to use it on her. The other part of her felt like she was being patronized. She let the flattery win this time because she had no fight left in her today.

Erica continued: "You feel like you're going to be made to choose between your family and me, right?"

The words hit Callie like a cannonball. Any strength she had against the flood of tears had been pummeled through, and she was bawling now. She leaned her head against Erica's shoulder and tried to tell Erica every fear that had run through her head for the past few hours. All that came out were garbled bits that Erica had to string together. "-won't accept this... disown me... can't live without them!"

Erica held Callie close and waited for Callie's sobs to subside. Instead, they grew worse and to Erica's horror she realized that Callie was hyperventilating. Pulling Callie into the bathroom she sat Callie on the toilet seat and pushed her head gently down between her knees. Erica ran to the sink to run a washcloth under cold water. Returning to Callie, she urged her to sit back up. Bringing the cloth up to Callie's face, she was violently thrust aside as Callie grabbed the garbage pail next to the toilet and vomited into it. Quickly standing, Erica held Callie's hair away from her face and patiently waited for her to finish. When she did, she used the cloth to wipe down the back of Callie's neck, trying to cool her down and regulate her breathing. After a few moments Erica knelt down in front of Callie again and wiped her face, effectively removing the last of the makeup that hadn't been washed away by Callie's tears. She pulled Callie down into her lap and held her as tightly as she could. When she was sure that Callie wasn't going to hyperventilate again, Erica finally spoke, her voice thick with emotion.

"All afternoon, I thought about you, and what you'll go through to tell your family about us. I want you to know-" Erica's voice cracked as her own tears started to flow. "I want you to know that I don't want to lose you. But I know how much your family means to you, and if it means that you have to choose between them and me, I want you to choose them. Because I couldn't live with myself if I took something so precious from you. I love you Callie and I don't want to see you hurting."

"I can't do that, Erica." Callie whispered, crying again. "I told you last night that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you, and I meant it. I just don't know how I'll live through losing my family though."

"How do you know that you'll lose them, Callie?" Erica whispered back. "How do you know that they won't accept you for who you are? You're their only child, and they love you. I know that they love you because of the way that you talk about them. So why wouldn't they just accept the fact that you're in love with another woman?"

"My father was furious with me when I married George. He told me it broke my mother's heart and a Vegas wedding wasn't fitting of an heiress. He was even madder when I divorced George. He said that divorce was a sin and it brought shame on our family. Imagine what he'll think of this!" Callie moaned.

"But you don't know that until you tell them, do you? Your mother put your father back into his place after your divorce from George, didn't she? What makes you think that _if_ he doesn't approve of us that your mother won't convince him otherwise?" Erica had begun to slowly rock back and forth, comforting herself as well as Callie.

"I'm not sure that my mother will even come around this time. This is a bit beyond her comprehension. She may be the more flexible of my parents but she's still quite conservative." Callie was still crying but she was considerably calmed by Erica's words. Just talking about this was starting to make her feel better.

"Callie, I want you to know that I will never leave you. I will never let you feel alone or lost. I'll be your family if your family abandons you. When I'm with you, no matter where I am, I am at home with you. I want to make it so that you will feel the same way about me, too. I'm going to love you forever and keep you safe and try to shield you from all of the hurt in the world. But I can't imagine your parents cutting you out of their lives. And when it comes time to tell them, I'm going to be right there with you. I'll protect you if you need it, but I really think that they'll accept us. I feel it, in my heart, I really feel it."

"I'm still not so sure, Erica. I think I know them a bit better than you do." Callie said with a weak smile.

"I'm sure you do. And Callie, I mean it. If they make you choose, you should choose them. It'll kill me to lose you, but I'd rather go back to being just your best friend than lose you altogether."

Callie backed out of Erica's arms so she could be face to face with Erica, purposely holding her at arms length because she was afraid if she got closer, she'd have to kiss her for her selflessness, and she really needed to say what was on her mind. "You're insane, you know that? You wouldn't happen to be trying to push me away, because I _just_ told you that I couldn't live without you and that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you. Now you're telling me to choose them? I love you, Erica Hahn. Do you not understand that? I love YOU. I made a commitment to you last night the same way you made a promise to me about telling our coworkers about us. I don't make commitments to just anyone. But I made one to you, and I am damn well keeping it. You're stuck with me, whether you like it or not. Oh, and you were never 'just' my best friend."

It was Erica's turn to cry. "But I can't take your family away from you, Callie. I can't come between you and them. You have to understand that. Of course I want to be with you, and grow old with you... but how can I take away the people that you love?"

Callie snuggled in closer to Erica and whispered back to her. "You're the people that I love. One of them, at least. You're all I need, Erica. If my parents want to be a part of our lives, then they're more than welcome. But if they don't, then it really is their loss. But I'm going to need you to help take care of me if they disown me. I'm not talking about money- between my savings and my salary, I'll be fine... but I'm going to need you to repair my heart when they break it, okay?"

"I'll take care of you until the day I die, Callie Torres. Even with money, if that's what you want." Erica said as she pulled Callie in for a kiss that was eagerly reciprocated. Callie didn't know it, but Erica was greatly relieved. Yes, they still had a massive challenge ahead of them, but Callie wanted Erica in her life, no matter what, and that was all Erica needed to know before she geared up to help Callie fight the next battle.

Their kiss was interrupted by a ringing cell phone in the bedroom. Standing up, Callie reached down to help Erica up. Erica ran to get the cell phone and Callie glanced in the mirror on the way out of the bathroom. She groaned at her reflection. Her hair and makeup were completely ruined.

"Hey Cal?" Erica called from the bedroom.

"Yeah?" Callie called back, pulling her hair out of the knot it'd been so prettily placed in and running a brush through it.

"The car service is on the phone, the driver is running about thirty minutes late. Want me to tell them not to come at all?" Erica asked, trying not to let the potential disappointment of missing the party show in her voice.

"Only if you plan on driving us to the party tonight! I need a drink after all of that!" Callie said, the enthusiasm returning to her voice. Things would be okay, she just knew it. One way or the other, things were going to work out. Tonight, she was going drinking and dancing with her hot girlfriend. She'd deal with tomorrow and all the other days as they came. She'd just breathe, and live life one day at a time, with Erica by her side.


	25. Party Time

**A/N:** Ready for some fun? It's party time. :)

Updates are, unfortunately, going to be a bit slow next week as I'm sending my computer out for repairs. I'll update again once the computer is back.

* * *

Erica had hung up with the car service and returned to the bathroom to see Callie brushing her teeth. "You really want to go?" Erica said, not bothering to hide her surprise.

Smiling at Erica in the mirror, Callie said: "Erica, you taught me something tonight. You taught me that with you by my side, I have nothing to fear. I want to go celebrate what I learned by drinking and dancing the night away with you. Don't you still want to go?"

"Unbelievably, yes. I do still want to go." Erica said as she planted a kiss on Callie's forehead. "I'm not a party person, but tonight's going to be fun. I told the car service we were running a bit late too, and asked them to send the driver in an hour instead. We can clean up a bit and be ready by the time he gets here."

"Good idea…" Callie growled as she pushed Erica back towards the bedroom. "I know we only have an hour, but I need you." The lust in Callie's voice caused a fire to start in Erica's nether regions. She knew that Callie would take care of it for her.

Erica never undressed so fast in her life. She was so fast that she was able to help Callie undress too. Pushing Callie down flat across the bed, she kissed her deeply as she crawled atop her. She continued to kiss Callie as she slid one hand down to between Callie's legs. This was going to be quick and dirty; there was no time for foreplay. Flicking one finger over Callie's clitoris, she gauged her response. The deep moan, the closed eyes and the clenched fists told Erica that Callie was ready for her despite the lack of preparation. She was pleasantly thrilled to find how easily her fingers slid in the folds of Callie's skin. It was quite an ego boost to know that she made Callie that slick without having touched her. Balancing herself over Callie on one elbow, she used her bodyweight to push her fingers inside of her. Moving her hips back and forth, she created a phallus with her hand and was able to develop a rhythm that quickly had Callie grinding up against her. Pushing harder and faster, Erica felt one of Callie's legs wrap around her, pulling her in tighter. The pace was already starting to exhaust Erica but she knew that it wouldn't be long before Callie came. She leaned in and kissed Callie, adding additional weight to her hand inside of lover and giving a series of thrusts that caused her thighs to smack against Callie's. That was all it took. Callie's orgasm exploded in a series of gasps and gravelly groans that were muffled by Erica's mouth over Callie's. Erica continued pumping in and out of Callie long after the muscles had begun to contract around her hand. She was rewarded with a second orgasm that left Callie screaming her name this time. All of this had taken less than ten minutes.

Panting, Callie kissed Erica deeply and then flipped Erica up off of her, crawling on top of her to return the favor. "See, this is where those toys would have come in handy." Callie breathed while she kissed Erica's neck. Before Erica could answer that she didn't need toys to make Callie scream, Callie had already mimicked Erica's position and had slid her fingers up and inside of her, causing Erica to gasp. Erica hadn't even had the time to catch her breath from the ride she'd just taken on Callie when she began to lose it again. Faster and faster, Callie pumped her fingers deeper and deeper into Erica.

"Caaalllliiiiieee" Erica screamed, the waves of pleasure washing over her almost the instant Callie entered her. As Erica's orgasm washed over her, Callie curled her fingers a little inside of Erica and was rewarded with a new set of screams. Arms trembling, Erica pulled Callie down on her and wrapped her in a tight embrace as she rode out the last waves of her orgasm.

It had been the quickest sex the two of them had ever experienced, but it did wonders for them. Getting back up, they grabbed their dresses and went back into the bathroom to finish getting ready.

Walking in to the bathroom was like walking smack in to a wall of stench. "Jesus, what is that?" Callie asked, cupping her hand over her mouth.

"That, my friend, is the vomit you left in the garbage pail." Erica said as she too covered her mouth and nose.

"Oh jeez, how quickly I forgot about that." Callie said as she moved to pick up the garbage pail. Erica beat her to it, taking the liner out of the pail and tying the top in a knot. Looking under the sink, she found a box of garbage pail liners and tied the first bag inside a second. Then she placed a third bag in the garbage pail and put the pail back where it belonged.

"See, the things I do for you because I love you?" Erica said with a playful grin as she walked the bag to the back door of the cottage, leaving it outside so that it wouldn't stink up the rest of the place.

Callie kissed her quickly when she returned. "Thanks. I really don't know what I'd do without you."

"Well, you'd clean up your own vomit, for one thing." Erica joked as she started to freshen up alongside Callie.

The two women dressed, re-did their hair and makeup, and called for a golf cart to take them up to the front of the spa. They'd no sooner gotten out of the golf cart than a sleek black stretch limousine pulled up in the spa's circular drive.

"Ride's here." Erica said, watching the surprise register on Callie's face. Looping her arm through Callie's she led them to the newly-arrived limousine. "Nothing but the best for you, Callie." Erica whispered in Callie's ear as she led her to the car. Callie's response came simply as a "Squee!" and she practically jogged to the waiting limousine.

A liveried driver opened the back door for them, tipping his cap. Inside, a bottle of champagne was on ice and a bouquet of roses rested on the rear seat. The driver returned to the front seat, confirmed their destination with the two women, and had the privacy screen about halfway closed when he heard the cork on the bottle of bubbly pop and the giggling start.

The two women arrived at the party at a time that could still be considered fashionably late. William and Jason's house was modest but lavishly appointed, located a good forty minutes away from the spa when the traffic was light. They were greeted at the front door by a housekeeper in her mid-fifties who pointed them to the back of the house. At the back, the party was in full swing. Seeing them arrive, William walked over and looped his arm through both Callie's and Erica's arms, leading them up to the buffet table while greeting them.

"I was starting to worry about the two of you! I thought maybe you'd changed your minds about coming." William said good-naturedly.

"Our driver was a bit late, we're sorry." Callie said by way of an excuse.

"Well, it doesn't matter. Grab some food- it's delicious- and don't forget to hit the bar. Jason's bartending right now while the bartender is on break, and he mixes some of the best cosmopolitans you'll ever drink!" William said as he walked away to join the rest of the people on the dance floor.

Callie was starving. Not only was breakfast the only meal she'd eaten that day, but she had also thrown up and then had hot, passionate sex with Erica afterwards. She had to restrain herself from diving into the food and shoving everything in her mouth.

Erica must have been thinking the same thing Callie was, because the two walked briskly over to the end of the table and loaded up their plates. Bringing the plates over to the bar, they greeted Jason.

"You made it! I'm so happy you came!" Jason effused as he started mixing drinks for the two of them.

"Jason, we just want to thank you for all that you and William have done for us. This trip has been like a dream come true. You really didn't have to go so far out of your way, but we thank you for it." Erica said, and she meant it.

"Dr. Hahn, you saved my dad's life. Aside from William, my dad is the most important person in my life. I can never repay you for saving him, so I figured I could just show you a good time instead."

"Jason, call me Erica. And that's Callie. And saving your dad's life was my job. There's no need to thank me." Erica said, cheeks flushing with both pride and modesty.

"I feel that need anyway. Thank you, really." Jason said as he handed the women their drinks and giving them each a peck on the cheek. Stepping out from behind the bar because the bartender had returned, Jason looked over both women and smiled. "I think I may have outdone myself."

"Sorry?" Callie asked.

"Those dresses, they're hot!" Jason laughed, looking proud of his designs.

"Thanks also for the clothes, Jason. I'm sorry we didn't recognize you when we arrived. We're honored to meet you, to stay at your resort, and to be able to wear some of your amazing clothes, especially these gorgeous dresses." Callie replied, glancing down at herself.

"It's the beauty in the woman that makes the dress look good, Callie. Don't ever forget that!" Jason said as he walked away to join William on the dance floor.

It took the two about ten minutes to inhale the food they'd piled up on their plates. It was absolutely delicious- William had been spot on about that. Just as they were finishing their meal, Amanda and Jessica walked up to them, arm in arm.

"Hey, you made it!" Amanda said, hugging first Callie then Erica.

"Of course we did!" Erica said with a smile.

"After we didn't see you here when we arrived, we thought, well, actually, I thought that I'd somehow scared you off with my question this morning." Jessica said, apologies written all over her face. "I just want to say that I'm sorry for bringing it up. After you're together with someone for a while, the pain and fear of coming out to your family kind of fades from memory. It was wrong of me to just blurt out that question."

"Jessica, it's okay." Callie said. "It did scare me, a lot. But it is a demon I'm going to have to face eventually, and your question this morning allowed Erica and me to make a lot of progress about how I'll go about it. I'm not as afraid of coming out to my family as I was this afternoon."

A relieved smile moved across Jessica's lips. "Well, how about some fun, then? Are you ladies up for some dancing?"

"Absolutely!" Callie yelled, grabbing Erica by the hand and taking her to the dance floor with Amanda and Jessica. The music was great and the night was perfect for dancing. The sun had gone down and it was reasonably cool, with no humidity. Soon the moon was above them and the stars were sparkling.

Hours after their arrival at the party, Callie and Erica were still on the dance floor. They had long ago kicked off their high heels and were currently dancing barefoot to a slow song, their bodies pressed close together. At one point they paused and posed for a photo taken by the professional photographer that had been circulating all night. Physically exhausted from giving massages all day and dancing away the night, Jessica and Amanda had long since found a table and were sitting with their heads close together, deep in conversation. William and Jason were dancing not far from them, along with a smattering of other couples, both straight and (as Erica put it not long ago in the Chief's office) "not-so-straight". Throughout their entire time on the dance floor, Erica and Callie had been drinking, waitresses bringing around wine, champagne and other mixed drinks on trays. Callie wasn't sure she'd be able to stand up on her own if Erica let go of her. She didn't care.

"This was a lot of fun, Callie. I'm glad we came." Erica whispered to Callie as they swayed to the music.

"I'm glad we came too. I liked being able to hold you and touch you while we danced tonight. Do you know how many times I had to keep myself from touching you while we danced B.K.?" Callie asked.

"B.K.?" Erica asked by way of response.

"Before Kiss. It's how I look at my life now- before our first kiss and after our first kiss. And the A.K.- After Kiss- is way better. Life is so much better with you in it, Erica. "

Smiling, Erica tilted Callie's chin upward with her fingers and placed a small kiss on her lips. "I like that. B.K. and A.K." Erica said. "I had to do the same thing when we danced. Do you remember that night at Joe's, about 3 weeks after we first went out for drinks with Sloan, and that guy kept pumping quarters into the jukebox and the dance floor was packed? We were dancing like fiends and you kind of tripped a bit and fell into me a little?" Erica asked, her blue eyes blazing.

"Yeah, I do." Callie said. "I was really drunk then, sorry if I stepped on you." She said as she giggled at the memory of her flailing arms and Erica catching her before she could hit the ground and make a fool of herself.

"No need for 'sorry'. When you landed in my arms, even though it was by accident, you lit me on fire. I had to take a really, really cold shower when I got home that night. While I helped you straighten yourself back up, and you were looking into my eyes and giggling, I swore I could see your soul. I knew then that I couldn't deny what I was feeling anymore. I was this close to telling you right then and there that I had fallen for you." Erica pinched her thumb and forefinger together to show just how close she'd been. "I was so drunk that night, I almost said it. And I was also so drunk that night that I knew I couldn't trust myself if I had said it and you hadn't felt the same way. I don't know if I could have controlled myself not to do something awful if you'd somehow rejected me."

"Oh my God, Erica! Please, you can't be serious!" Callie was shocked. She pulled away from Erica for a moment to look directly at her. Erica did not strike her as the type of person who would hurt herself. Erica was a confirmed healer- she mended hearts, patched lungs, cleared arteries and rearranged veins like the fantastic surgeon that she was. She took an oath to do no harm, and Callie thought she knew that the same oath applied to her as well. Erica Hahn was just not someone who would inflict harm on herself, Callie thought.

Erica shook her head, tears welling up in her eyes. "I'm not saying I would have, Callie. But I just wasn't in enough control over myself to _not_ do it. So I didn't say anything at all. I just kept on dancing."

"You make sure that next time a thought like that ever flickers through that amazing brain of yours, that you tell me, you got it? You tell me, because I couldn't live if you did something to yourself. I will not let you hurt yourself, you hear me?" Callie was visibly shaken by Erica's confession.

"Hey, sorry, I didn't mean to freak you out. My only point was that I'm so happy to be dancing with you _and _touching you right now. Really, that's all. I haven't been suicidal since I graduated medical school." Erica said, letting the words sink in.

"WHAT?" Callie said, so loud that most of the party turned to look at them.

"I'll tell you when we get back to the hotel, okay?" Erica said, because it wasn't the kind of discussion she wanted to have here.

"Is that what you talk to Dr. Wyatt about?" Callie asked gently.

"How did you know I go to Dr. Wyatt?" Erica asked, somewhat stunned by Callie's perception. Here she'd been trying to keep that a secret and Callie had known it all along. She should have known better- Callie could always read her mind.

"I saw you leave her office two Thursdays in a row at the same time." Callie said, shrugging.

"And what were you doing outside of her office at the same time two Thursdays in a row?" Erica said, cocking one eyebrow.

"I'd followed you there an hour earlier and was hovering to see when you'd leave. Before Kiss, I used to just follow you around when I had nothing better to do, because I just needed to be with you, even if you were busy working and you didn't know I was there." Callie said, grinning from ear to ear.

"You dirty stalker!" Erica laughed, hugging Callie. "Any other secrets I should know about?" Erica asked.

"I'll trade you my secrets for your secrets later tonight. For now, let's go sit. My toes are killing me and they're so swollen from the dancing that I don't think my shoe will ever go back on." Callie said.

"Your poor toes- they're never going to heal at this rate. Tomorrow, we're staying in bed all day. You need to stay off those feet." Erica chastised with a grin.

"I know a lot of things that we can do while we're in bed..." Callie said as she and Erica sat down, holding hands.

Not long after they'd finished dancing, the housekeeper came up to the two women to tell them that their car had arrived to pick them up. Gathering their things, Callie and Erica walked over to Jason and William and thanked them profusely for the fantastic evening and everything the two had done for them. They then swapped phone numbers with Amanda and Jessica, telling them that they were welcome to visit in Seattle anytime they wanted. The other couple reciprocated, saying that anytime Erica and Callie wanted to get away to Canada for a few days, they were always welcome.

"You could get married there, you know!" Jessica said, grinning.

"We could host your wedding reception." Amanda said, the wheels already turning in her head with ideas for her two new-found friends.

Although she'd meant it jokingly, Jessica had once again stuck a cord within the two women. Looking at Callie and giving a huge smile before her reply, Erica said "You'll be the first people we call."

Will be. Not would be. Callie couldn't hide the euphoria she was feeling. She didn't care that it had only been a week since they were together as a couple. The future most definitely had the two of them together. She was as sure of it as she was sure the sun would rise again in the morning.


	26. Secrets

**A/N:** Hope you had fun at the party! :) Reality is going to be setting in slowly for my ladies now... so let's enjoy their last days at the spa, shall we?

I'm trying to cram in as many updates as I can before my computer goes to summer camp, er, I mean, in for repairs. So please don't kill me if I cram in a few over the weekend and then don't update for a week or two. I can't help it. :p Thanks for reading- the reviews here have become something I really look forward to!

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The ride back to the spa was pleasant. Callie hadn't been able to put her shoe back on due to the swelling in her broken toes, so she sat, barefoot, in the back of the limousine wrapped in Erica's arms. She felt comfortable and safe with Erica, and she hoped, desperately, that Erica felt that way with her too. The thought of Erica wanting to hurt herself snuck into Callie's thoughts. Callie knew that had been a very long time ago, but the terror of thinking that Erica could ever consider something so awful killed whatever buzz she'd been feeling from all the drinking and dancing. What if she'd hurt herself that night, years ago? What if she'd done something to cause her to take a different path through life and they'd never met? Or, what if she'd ended it all that night and Callie would have never had the chance to know her and love her? Those thoughts terrified Callie. They scared her more than coming out to her parents scared her. Snuggling tighter, Callie whispered "I love you", because the memory of Erica's confession on the dance floor made Callie feel like any moment when she wasn't telling Erica those very words were wasted moments that she'd never get back.

"I love you, too." Erica said, leaning her head on Callie's shoulder and taking a contented deep breath.

They took a golf cart back up to their cottage because it was dark outside and Callie could barely walk on her broken toes at this point. Happily, the bag that Erica had left outside the door had been disposed of in their absence. Inside, they dropped their shoes and purses in the living room and discovered fresh flowers in a vase along with a bottle of wine on the bar. The refrigerator and bar had been restocked. The note on the flowers was from Jason. Apparently he'd called the spa after they'd arrived at the party and asked a staff member to put the flowers in their room for them. The note thanked Erica again and wished them both a pleasant remainder of their stay. Callie added as many of the roses that she'd received from Erica in the limo that would fit in to the vase and walked away with the rest. Erica hadn't noticed because she was busy reading the note from Jason over and over again. It did make her feel really good to know that she'd made someone else so happy just by doing her job. It made Callie feel really good to see Erica smiling and silently preening about a job well done.

Pouring two glasses of the wine, Erica walked toward the bedroom and heard the water running in the bathtub. Poking her head in, she was shocked and flooded with lust by the scene. Callie had started filling the giant submerged tub with bubble bath and had plucked the petals from the roses to make a rose petal path from the bathroom door to the tub, from the tub to the bedroom and from the bedroom door up to the bed. She'd then sprinkled a few petals around the edge of the tub, leaving but one rose, which she held out to Erica, smiling.

"Want to come for a swim?" Callie said, coyly.

Stepping in to the bathroom, she took the rose from Callie and breathed its scent in deeply. Then she used the flower to trace down Callie's nose, over her lips, and down her neck to her chest before wrapping her arms around Callie's waist. Callie reached up and placed both of her hands lightly on Erica's cheeks and pulled her in for a long, long kiss. Breaking away, Erica put the rose on the bathroom counter and began undressing Callie in her usual methodical way, kissing each part of Callie's body that she uncovered. Naked, Callie returned the gesture and then led Erica by the hand down into the tub. Erica laid herself over Callie and kissed her for what felt like days. Moving her hand between them, she simply swirled two of her fingers over Callie's clitoris, starting so slowly at first that it was almost painful. Erica's lips never left Callie's though, and she used her tongue against Callie's to copy the swirling motion her fingers were making. At the last moment, Erica slid her fingers inside of Callie, and soon Callie's arms were wrapped tightly around Erica as she moaned through her orgasm, all the while still kissing Erica.

When it came to be Callie's turn to pleasure Erica, she guided Erica up so that she was kneeling over her while still facing her. Erica placed a hand on either of Callie's shoulders and lowered herself onto Callie's fingers under the water. Sliding first two and then a third finger up and inside of Erica, she used her thumb to massage Erica's clitoris while Erica grinded her hips against her. Erica's pace was slow and leisurely at first, and she bent forward a bit to be able to kiss Callie as she flexed slowly up against her. Eventually she started moving faster and faster, to the point that bubbly bath water had started to lap up over the edge of the tub, causing rose petals to float away in a miniature tidal wave. Neither woman noticed- they were far to involved in their own activity to care. When Erica's own tidal wave hit, she arched her back and called out to Callie, letting her lover's name form in her gut and burst up and out through her lips. The sound of her name coming from Erica that way nearly made Callie come again.

Coming down from her bliss, Erica kissed Callie again sweetly before moving next to her in the tub. Dipping Callie backward, she wet Callie's hair and massaged in a palm full of shampoo. Taking a wash cloth, she scrubbed Callie's back and neck gently before moving around to the front of her body. It didn't go unnoticed by Callie how Erica seemed to pay extra careful attention to cleaning her nipples. "You're so beautiful." Erica murmured, continuing to wash away the tribulations of Callie's day with the sudsy washcloth. Callie leaned back, letting Erica explore her body as she washed. When Erica had washed her from her head to her very achy toes, Callie did the same for her. She started by washing her hair, using her skilled fingers to massage the tension out of Erica's scalp. Working down to her neck and shoulders, she put the massage tips taught to them by Amanda and Jessica that morning to good use. She trailed kisses behind the washcloth, and playfully growled while she licked one of Erica's nipples before moving on.

By the time they had finished, the water in the tub had gotten cool and they were both a bit cold. Erica got out of the tub and held out a towel to Callie wrapping her in it before allowing Callie to wrap her in another towel. Drying each other off, they let the tub drain and left the splashed water and rose petals where they lie, intending to clean up the next morning.

Crawling naked into bed, Callie quickly took Erica into her arms while Erica pulled up the covers. "Thank you for a wonderful night, Erica."

Smiling, Erica replied "Thank you, Callie and not just for tonight. With you, I live. It's the most amazing feeling, this life with you in it."

"You'd never try to end that life, would you? You scared me a bit tonight, I have to tell you. Promise me, Erica, please promise me that you'll never hurt yourself, please?" Callie's pleading eyes were swimming with tears.

"Callie, I promise you that. I really have never ever truly wanted to hurt myself. Let me explain to you a little bit, okay?" Erica said, taking Callie's hand into her own. Taking a deep breath, Erica told the first person aside from Dr. Wyatt about her childhood up until that night before her medical school graduation. Slowly, painfully, she recounted each of the feelings she had buried deep within herself. Through her tears, she told Callie about her father's letter and how crushed she'd been by it. Callie cried along with Erica, suddenly understanding so many things about her and the way she reacts to the people and events in her life. Erica's hatred of Preston Burke was suddenly no longer an antagonism having simply to do with coming in second. He'd cost her so much more than first place, even if it wasn't completely intentional. Erica's dislike of other people came into sharp focus. It wasn't so much a dislike- it was a distrust masked by dislike. Anyone she'd ever let into her heart had hurt her. Callie was determined to never let Erica feel that way again. Callie also realized that as difficult as it was going to be for her to come out to her parents, it wasn't going to be nearly as difficult as Erica's entire childhood had been. At least her parents had been there for her and had loved her and supported her growing up. And deep in her heart, Callie suddenly felt hopeful that even if they didn't love her or support her after she told them about Erica, they would go back to giving her that love and support eventually.

Callie had let Erica talk until the early hours of the morning. When she'd finished speaking, Callie kissed Erica deeply and held her close. "I'll be your family, Erica. I'll be the one to shower you with the love you've always deserved but never got. I'll never let you feel abandoned or alone. You and me, we'll be our own family, okay? We'll be a team, united against the world if we need to be."

Erica nuzzled Callie's neck before she responded. "This afternoon, I told myself I'd tell you exactly the same thing. You and me, Callie, we're the cliché. We're meant to be together, forever. Two Juliets who don't need a Romeo. And you know what? I don't mind being a cliché, as long as I've got you by my side. No matter what happens, no matter where life takes us, we're going to be together, and we're going to be happy. I promise you that. No matter where we are, as long as I'm in your heart, I'm at home."

"Erica?" Callie asked, her voice steady with a rage brought on by the injustices of Erica's life.

"Mmm?" Erica asked back.

"I'm going to track down your parents and kill them." Callie said, the seriousness in her voice making that threat sound all too real. Pushing herself up so she could look at Callie, Erica was hugely relieved to see her smiling. "I'm kidding, of course. Spending the rest of my life in jail would be breaking the promise I just made to you. But I do promise you this as well: If I ever meet your parents, I promise to give them a giant piece of my mind. I'm going to let them know just how wonderful you are and just how much they've missed out on. I'm going to fill them with regrets, because they deserve to feel them."

"Callie..." Erica started and then faltered. "Callie, I don't want you to do that, because filling them with hurt would be lowering yourself to their level. That's what they did to me growing up, even though it may not have been intentional. They are self-absorbed hypocrites, and I don't like that trait very much. It's taken me years of therapy to be able to get to the point where I could say I didn't care so much about what they thought. I no longer live for their approval. Besides, I don't think you'll ever meet them. I haven't seen them in over 10 years, and I'd like to keep it that way."

"I'll just kiss you with lots of tongue instead, how's that?" Callie asked playfully, trying to cheer up Erica. "I'll kiss you and moan and make them feel really uncomfortable."

"Seeing me would just make them uncomfortable, Cal. But thanks for the offer." Erica said sadly, but leaning in anyway to give Callie a kiss that truly did make her moan. "Not that I'm looking to change the subject or anything... but maybe we can start to think about your parents and what we want to say to them. I mean, we don't have to decide anything tonight and we don't have to make any definite plans, but I think that maybe we do need to put a plan into place. It might make things a bit easier."

"Erica, after what you just told me about yourself and how well you came through it, telling my parents and living through whatever aftermath there may be will be a walk in the park." Callie said, though she knew she wasn't as confident as she tried to sound.

Erica knew it too. "You're a brave woman, Cal, but it's not going to be easy. I know it, but I'm ready to help you fight for your family if you'll let me. There's nothing I'd like more than a set of in-laws." Erica said with a laugh.

"Let's cross that bridge when we get to it, OK?" Callie asked. "I'm not trying to put off the inevitable. I'm just tired and emotional. We had quite a day today and I don't know about you, but I'm ready to fall asleep. We'll have plenty of time tomorrow or the next day to develop the 'Parent Plan of Action'." Callie's use of air quotes as she spoke made Erica giggle.

"Sounds good to me. Good night, my best friend." Erica said.

"Did you ever think you'd have a best friend who was also your lover?" Callie asked suddenly. "It's the best feeling in the world, isn't it?"

"Sure is." Erica said, a smile spreading across her face at the thought.

"I love you, Erica Hahn." Callie said, her voice thick and shaky with emotion.

"I love you, Callie Torres." Erica said before she kissed Callie again and they drifted off to sleep.


	27. Breakfast

**A/N:** this is the weekend of the updates. :) Please don't be angry when I'm away for a while. I won't have a computer, so I'm trying to put up as much as I can before I'm cut off for a week or so. Thanks so much for all of the reviews!

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When Erica awoke late the next morning, she heard Callie speaking to someone at the back door. Wrapping a robe around herself, she walked towards the kitchen to see what was going on. By the time she arrived, Callie was pushing a cart laden with covered trays towards the hallway.

"Go back to bed!" Callie waved her hand in a shooing motion. "I wanted to surprise you with breakfast in bed! So go back to bed and act surprised." Callie demanded, laughing.

Instead, Erica laughed too and helped to push the cart into the bedroom. Together they took the lids off of the food and sat cross-legged on the bed, balancing trays in their laps and grabbing food off of the trays that they had laid out picnic style between them. There were pancakes, waffles, eggs in every style, bacon, ham, sausage, potatoes, cereal, oatmeal, yogurt, fresh fruit, juices, milk, hot chocolate, coffee and tea. The two ate like they hadn't seen food in weeks.

"You ordered one of everything, didn't you?" Erica asked with a mouth full of artery clogging bacon that she simply could not resist; profession as a heart surgeon be damned.

"Yah-huh." Came Callie's reply, because her own mouth was too full to even form a complete sentence.

"All these carbs, fat and calories Callie..." Erica let her voice drift off with just a slightly condescending tone to it as she gently shook her head. At this moment, Erica truly didn't care what she was eating, as long as she was eating with Callie, but she knew that Callie was going to get huffy about her bringing up nutrition again. Callie's aggravation about her fried food comments while at the poolside cafe the first night at the spa had not been lost on Erica. Even though Erica did take a great deal of pride in eating well, she enjoyed messing with Callie every once in a while too.

"What about them?" Callie said, her eyes narrowing; face growing tighter as she stared Erica down.

"They're going to make us a bit sluggish." Erica grinned as she continued, making her joke known. Lowering both her eyelids and her voice, she continued: "And if we're going to spend the day in bed today, I'm going to need all of my energy to keep up with you."

Callie laughed, dropping her fork into her tray. "I'm full!" She exclaimed, rubbing her belly for emphasis.

"I'm not." Erica said as she picked up a piece of melon and ate it, chewing it slowly and licking her lips. Callie's eyes had followed the food to Erica's mouth and she unconsciously licked her lips while she watched Erica eat. Erica picked up a strawberry and leaned over, feeding it to Callie. Callie flicked her tongue over the end of the strawberry before wrapping her lips around it and taking a bite, emitting a small moan. "Leave it to Callie to make eating into a sexual act", Erica thought as she pushed her tray off of her lap, stood, and grabbed Callie, half lifting her down to the floor by the foot of the bed. Callie was screeching with laughter as Erica put her down, kneeled in front of her and pushed the front of Callie's robe out of her way. Callie's giggling stopped the instant Erica's mouth found the hot spot between her legs. It changed to a gasp of pleasure as Callie was forced to lean forward where she stood, legs slightly apart, holding on to Erica's shoulders for balance. Erica worked her tongue in much the same manner that Callie had worked the strawberry moments before. Of all the times that she and Erica had made love up until this point, there had been nothing like this. This was pure lust, a need in Erica to bring Callie as much pleasure as she could. Erica did not penetrate Callie. There was a near desperation within her to bring Callie off, using just her tongue. She used her tongue to lap only at Callie's clit, stimulating it and bringing it further out of its hood. She gripped her hands around Callie's backside, pulling her closer to her mouth and started to suck lightly, then switched to using her tongue to swirl around the bundle of nerves before her. Switching back to lapping with the tip of her tongue again, Callie started to get closer to orgasm. Erica could feel Callie's knees going weak while her grip on her shoulders tightened and she swayed a bit. Erica knew she'd have to catch her if she collapsed. Closing her mouth around Callie's clit, Erica kept the pressure of her tongue on it infuriatingly light, but she increased the pace of her licking. That was all it took. The orgasm hit Callie like a ton of bricks, and she blacked out before she could even scream. Actually, Callie preferred to think of it as whiting out, because a burst of white light had spread from a pinpoint in back of her eyes and moved outward, washing out everything from view and causing every one of her nerves to vibrate with pleasure. Seconds later, Callie's vision returned, and she found herself collapsed in front of Erica with Erica's arms laced under her own, holding her up in a kneeling position.

"Oh. My. God." Callie uttered, unable to do much else. Trembling, she placed her lips on Erica's. Erica tasted of sex and fruit, and Callie let her own tongue dance around Erica's mouth, not wanting to miss any of it. Gently, Erica eased Callie down into a sitting position and placed her back against the bed for support. Unable to tell if Callie was shivering from the cold or from the aftereffects of their lovemaking, Erica wrapped Callie's robe back around her and snuggled in against the front of her. Still shaking, Callie tried to pull Erica up but only succeeded in a weak kiss.

"I-" Callie murmured. "What was that-" She couldn't make sense of anything. Her neurons were firing like canons and her body was still pulsating and she simply couldn't get the words out.

"Shhh, Callie, enjoy it." Erica said, kissing her again and holding her tightly. Callie tried to move again, making it clear that it was Erica's turn and she wasn't going to leave her hanging, but Erica put a stop to it. "Later." She said simply, smiling and continuing to kiss Callie.

"But-" Still flustered, Callie really wanted to make Erica come the same way she just had done but she was completely distracted by Erica's kiss and she could barely even move. The feeling was just starting to come back in her legs and her knees felt like they were starting to solidify again, but it would be a while before she could stand again. Erica's kiss was keeping her light-headed and she _was_ thoroughly enjoying it.

"Baby, it's okay. We've got alllll day." Erica mumbled against her lips, and listened to Callie sigh. She was enjoying the effect she was having on Callie. The orgasm was one thing, but the fact that she could make Callie swoon again with each additional kiss amazed her. She didn't need for Callie to return the favor right now. She was enjoying her own handiwork too much. Or tongue work, Erica thought with a grin.

Callie actually dozed off on the floor at the foot of the bed while they basked in her afterglow. After it appeared that Callie would need to sleep for a little while, Erica gently untangled herself from Callie and stood up. Pulling a pillow off of the bed and working the comforter out from under the breakfast trays, she placed the pillow down and gently lowered Callie from leaning against the bed down on to the pillow on the floor. Then she wrapped the comforter tightly around her, making sure her sweetheart was completely tucked in to a cucoon on the floor. Getting back up, Erica started putting the breakfast trays back on the cart. Callie was actually snoring lightly as she wheeled the cart out of the bedroom and into the kitchen. Erica put the juice, milk yogurt and fruit into the refrigerator for later. The dry cereal had been untouched so she left it on the counter and pushed the rest of the tray's contents outside the back door. She then used the cottage phone to call room service. She placed an advanced order for a late lunch and asked them to pick up the cart that was here.

She then walked back to the bedroom and found Callie continuing to sleep comfortably on the floor at the foot of the bed. Smiling, she blew the oblivious Callie a kiss before grabbing a towel and walking out to the hot tub. What she'd done to Callie just now had made her a bit hot and bothered herself, and she needed to find a way to calm down. Dipping in to the hot tub, she let the water jets massage her back and neck, but it wasn't doing anything to release some of the built up sexual tension she was feeling. Moving to try a more comfortable position, one of the jets happened to hit Erica momentarily between her legs, causing her already aroused clitoris to jump even further to attention. Settling back under the water, Erica dreamily touched herself, but stopped after a moment. She didn't need to do this. Callie would do it for her when she woke up, and it would be so much better. Moving her hand away, she let the hot water swirl around her a few minutes longer. Her reverie was suddenly broken by a clap of thunder. Opening her eyes, Erica saw that black clouds had rolled in and were threatening a downpour. She stepped out of the hot tub and turned it off. Grabbing her robe and wrapping it around her again, she went back inside.

Looking around, Erica was at a slight loss. Her entire life, for the past several months, had revolved around Callie. And right now, Callie was still wrapped up tight in her dreams. Glancing over at the sleeping figure, she could see the tiny smile on Callie's lips as she dreamed. Instinctually, Erica knew that Callie was dreaming about her, and it made her heart flutter. Callie had visited Erica in her dreams more than once too. Erica walked to the bathroom and cleaned up the sudsy mess they had left after their lovemaking in the tub the night before. She piled the used towels in a corner for the maid to pick up when she cleaned the room later. Finishing in the bathroom, Erica returned to the bedroom.

Erica had no idea what to do. Free time was foreign to her. Before she'd met Callie, she spent any free time she had doing research. After she met Callie, all of her free time was spent with Callie or wishing she was with Callie. In the rare non-Callie moments, she'd read a book or go for a walk, but the one book she'd packed was lost in her luggage and the rain now falling outside prevented her from going anywhere. Instead, she grabbed the remote and sat herself in one of the overstuffed chairs. She let her long legs rest on the ottoman in front of her and flipped on the television. Channel surfing, Erica let her thoughts wander. She wondered what it would be like to go back to work on Tuesday. She dreaded her follow-up with Walter Tapley on Wednesday. She loathed the thought of teaching Cristina Yang, despite what Richard had said he'd do. Part of Erica really wished that she and Callie could stay in this cottage forever and just not go back to work. As much fun as she was having playing doctor with Callie while she was here, she knew the real doctor within her would soon miss performing surgeries. She figured she would just have to convince Callie to come back to this place for their honeymoon.

Honeymoon. The thought brought a smile to Erica's lips as she thought about Jessica and Amanda's offer to host their wedding reception in Canada. When they decided to get married, they'd have to go north so that they could marry there. Erica had never pictured herself getting married and the thought of marrying anyone usually made her palms sweat. Her parents were not a happily married couple. They were each married to their work and used their marriage to each other to satisfy more basic needs, of which Erica was the accidental result. But last night, Erica had said they'd get married while talking to their new friends. She'd said it before she realized it but she didn't regret it at all. She knew Callie had heard it too because her grip had tightened on her hand and Callie hadn't stopped smiling. Erica knew it was a long way off, that the two of them were together only a week and were moving incredibly fast, but she also knew that despite her fears of a marriage like that of her parents, she'd marry Callie one day. And she knew that Callie wanted to marry her, too. Contented by the thought of having Callie as her wife, Erica dozed off in the chair, oblivious to both the thunderstorm and the television.

She wasn't sure how long she'd been sleeping, but she awoke to the insistent pressure of someone's tongue trying to press between her lips. She didn't have to guess whose it was. Opening her eyes, Erica found Callie kneeling stark naked in front of the chair where she'd dozed off. Callie let go of Erica's face but continued to kiss her, happy when Erica had been aroused enough from her slumber to kiss her back. She slid her hands into the folds of Erica's robe and pushed it open, rubbing the very erect nipples that she had just uncovered. Breaking away from the kiss for a second, Callie stood, put her arms around Erica's back, and pulled her forward to the edge of the chair. She knelt again and resumed kissing her, but stood again moments later. Confused, Erica felt cold suddenly and almost started to follow Callie away from the chair. Walking towards the bed, Callie grabbed two of the pillows and returned immediately. She dropped one pillow in front of the chair and urged Erica up for a moment, placing the other pillow underneath her as she sat her back down at the edge of the chair again. Understanding what Callie wanted to do, Erica propped her feet up on the edge of the ottoman, entrapping Callie between the chair facing her and the ottoman behind her. Sliding Erica forward a bit more, Callie kneeled down on the pillow she'd placed on the floor and kissed her way down the front of Erica's body, hungry for what awaited her at the edge of the chair. Using her nose first, she nuzzled gently and briefly between the folds of Erica's skin. Then, she let her tongue slide in, and she scraped her teeth ever so gently across Erica's engorged clitoris. It took only seconds for Erica to become wet and Callie worked her way between lapping up some of Erica's juices and using her tongue to flick Erica's clit. She took her time, and Erica leaned her back and head against the back of the chair, letting the electricity flow through her nerves as she sighed. Her sighs started to turn to gasps, her gasps slowly turned to moans, and from moans to cries as Callie worried her tongue between her legs. Like Erica had done to her before, Callie did not penetrate Erica. This was something new for them, and Callie wanted to do her best to re-create the same explosive pleasure Erica had created in her earlier.

Unable to hold still, Erica had begun to wriggle underneath Callie's tongue, unconsciously guiding Callie to where it felt best to touch her. She used one hand to push herself back up from the slouch she'd relaxed into and used her other hand to pull Callie's face closer. Glancing up but not stopping what she was doing, Callie looked Erica right in the eyes. She increased her pace and made her tongue's strokes faster but shorter. It was enough to drive Erica over the edge, and when she came, she quite literally exploded. "Callie!" She yelled, once, briefly before collapsing back against the chair, eyes closed and gasping for breath. Callie slid upwards and laid herself over Erica, kissing her deeply.

It didn't take Erica quite as long as it had taken Callie to recover, though that wasn't a testament to how well Callie had done. She'd never experienced and orgasm that, well, that explosive. "That was amazing, Callie." Erica said between kisses. Sliding her nails down Callie's back, she grasped Callie's rear end in her hands and squeezed. "I've never come like that before..." Straightening up, Erica was suddenly serious. "You're not, uh, grossed out or anything, are you?"

The pink flush on her cheeks and neck from her orgasm had changed to an embarrassed red as she looked at Callie and waited nervously for an answer. Callie smiled, kissed her again, and told her that she'd make her come like that again as often as she could, if it was that good. Laughing, the two went back to kissing. It wasn't long before they were both screaming again.


	28. Almost Over

**A/N:** Sorry for the delay folks. I was without a computer at home for a while, and then went away for the weekend. Thanks for being patient with me, and thanks to those of you who send me reviews/messages asking what was taking so long. You made my day. :) More to come... I'm still writing! :) Thanks for your reviews!

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The rain continued throughout most of the afternoon, though it made little difference to the two women. They bought a cheesy romantic comedy from pay-per-view and sat in bed, curled up in each others arms, watching it and laughing. Every once in a while, Callie would catch Erica watching her instead of the movie, and she'd lean in and kiss her lips gently. At around two o'clock the late lunch that Erica had ordered was delivered and they moved from the bedroom to the kitchen to eat. They continued to laugh and joke with one another and were nearly finished with their meal when Callie's cell phone rang.

Picking it up, Callie's face showed pleasant surprise. "Addison!" She exclaimed. From across the room, Erica looked up and smiled. Erica had liked Addison a lot during her visit and she was secretly grateful that Addison had pushed Callie to take a second look at her feelings, even if she hadn't known what she was doing. Erica also liked that Callie had another friend to turn to. She wasn't really that lucky, and she hoped that maybe Addison would one day let her in to her circle of friends.

"Where are you?" Addison asked. "I called Yang's apartment and she hung up on me the second I mentioned your name. What's going on?"

"Oh Addie, there's so much to tell you!" Callie said, giggling a bit. "Mind if I put you on speaker? There's someone else here who should be a part of this conversation." Before Addison could object to being put on speaker, Erica had taken her place on the couch next to Callie and Callie pressed the hands-free button on her cell phone, laying it in front of them on the coffee table.

"-else is there?" Addison's voice was suddenly amplified enough for both women to hear her.

Grinning over at Erica, Callie was silently asking if it was all right to tell Addison about them. Erica winked and nodded. "Erica's here." Callie said simply.

"And where, exactly is 'here' Callie? Because you're not at the hospital and I take it that you're not living with Yang anymore."

"Um, nope. I don't live with Yang anymore. But that's another story entirely. You need to hear the really good news first. I'm living with Erica now." Callie said simply. She was enjoying dragging this out and making Addison guess.

"Really? Erica? That's great. I really liked her when I met her..." Addison said, letting her voice trail off. She knew how Callie had reacted when she'd mentioned the Vagina Monologues and she didn't want to freak her out by asking the obvious question.

"That's good, Dr. Montgomery, because I became a fan of yours too, while you were here." Erica cut in, smiling.

"Oh, Erica, hi!" Addison said, surprised to already be on speaker and still waiting for one of them to tell her what was going on.

"Addison..." Callie said, grinning like a little kid at Christmas and letting the grin come through in her voice.

"What?!" Addison asked, starting to get frustrated.

"I said I'm living with Erica." Callie let the words sink in a bit.

"Like, roommates?" Addison asked, still afraid to go back to the lunch she and Callie had shared while she was back in Seattle. Callie's "I like penis" speech still made Addison giggle when she thought about it. Addison could plainly see how happy Erica made Callie and she wanted to throw her chips at Callie for being so blind to it herself.

"Like roommates who sleep in the same bed, Addison." Erica said matter-of-factly.

The noise that came from Addison couldn't quite be described as a single word but it could definitely be described as joyful. It sounded a lot like "Awww" and "Oh my god" and "Wow" all combined into a one drawn out syllable. There may have been clapping too, as it sounded like Addison dropped the phone when she reacted. Calming a bit, Addison yelled "I knew it! I knew you two were a happy couple! I am so happy for you! It was so great to see you so happy after everything that happened with George, Callie." Addison stopped for breath. "Why didn't you tell me while I was there, Cal?" Addison said, the last sentence dripping with genuine disappointment.

"We weren't a couple when you were in Seattle, Addison. I definitely would have told you if we were. It's not the kind of secret that I'd keep from you, and you know that. But you kind of pushed us in the right direction." Callie explained.

"Really?" Addison asked, shocked.

"Yes. When you told me that we looked like a happy couple, I had to take a step back and re-examine my feelings. I knew I had feelings for Erica but I was so terrified of them. So actually, you pushed me completely in the wrong direction- I jumped into bed with Mark the night you left- but he actually helped me to work my way through my denial and well, Erica and I are on vacation together right now." Callie said.

"I'm so happy for you two!" Addison cheered. "But Callie, you slept with Mark?"

"Yeah, I know. Talk about denial, huh?" Callie said with a giggle.

"Oh come on, he's not that bad! He's actually really good!" Addison said, laughing herself.

"What, am I the only one here who hasn't slept with Mark Sloan?" Erica laughed.

"Probably the only one in the entire hospital, Erica." Addison laughed again.

The conversation continued on and the three talked about the night they'd saved cement boy and finally kissed, about the events leading up to them coming out at work, and finally, to their vacation, yesterday's crisis about coming out to Callie's parents and the party the night before.

"Want me to kill Yang for you?" Addison asked jokingly.

"Nah, Erica will take care of that when we get back." Callie said with a smile in Erica's direction.

"Want me to be there when you tell your parents, Callie?" Addison asked, genuinely afraid for her friend.

"Thanks Addison, but you know this is something that Erica and I have to do together. Besides, I don't want my parents to think we're ganging up on them." Callie tried to make herself sound jovial but failed miserably.

"I know you'll get through it, Callie. And you will have Erica there with you, you're lucky for that. I'm here though if you need someone to talk to. Your parents will accept you, Callie. They have to because you're their only daughter and I know that they love you. But if things don't go as we all hope, you know that I'm your family too, right?" Addison tried to make herself sound more confident about Callie's parents than she really was. Addison hadn't met Callie's parents but knew that Callie came from money, and her family had a reputation that they claimed they had to uphold. She saw what Callie's family had done to her after she'd eloped with George and she couldn't imagine Callie now telling them that she was in love with another woman. "And Erica, you take good care of my Callie there." Addison said, seriousness infecting her tone and hoping that Erica knew what she had been thinking.

"Believe me, Addison; I'll take very, very good care of my Callie." Erica replied, her joking possessiveness endearing to Callie.

Somewhere in the background on Addison's end, a pager beeped. "That's good. Listen, I have to go, but you two should come down to LA and spend a weekend here, too. I didn't really get to catch up with you while I was there and now there's even more for me to have to catch up on." Addison said.

"Yeah, like the fact that we met Jason Warner and he gave us clothes!" Callie exclaimed. Addison was a true clothes addict. If it was designer, she either had it or wanted it, and Callie and Erica now had dresses that hadn't even hit the racks in the boutiques yet.

Pager momentarily forgotten, Addison yelled "WHAT?" causing Callie's cell phone to actually vibrate slightly against the table. "Now you're just making up stories, Callie."

"No, I'm serious! The airline lost our luggage and his partner William actually owns the spa where we're staying and he made all these great arrangements for us because Erica saved Jason's dad's life and because it was our first time out together as a couple." Callie babbled breathlessly.

"Callie, I think you're either drunk or too high on your new-found love." Addison joked again. "You need to come down here and have a complete head examination."

"I think you should just come back to Seattle, Addie. The Chief still hasn't filled your position. We miss you. I miss you. You know who else misses you? Mark. And he's available again, but probably not for long, so you'd better hurry. And you know you miss doing surgery. It's in your blood." Callie said.

"Ha!" Addison laughed. "Don't try to change the subject. I'll believe you met Jason Warner when I see the pictures of you in his clothes. Now, I really have to go, but I'll talk to you soon, Callie. Have a great night, both of you. Congratulations and…good luck. You know where to find me if you need me."

They each said their goodbyes and hung up.

"I really do like her." Erica said, grinning.

"That's saying a lot, for you!" Callie joked, but knowing that was a huge compliment coming from Erica.

Erica picked up a throw pillow from the couch and swatted it at Callie. Instead of swatting her back, Callie dove into Erica, pushing her back against the couch. Pinning her down, Callie planted a long, wet kiss on Erica's lips.

Drawing back after what could only be considered a spine-tingling kiss, Callie whispered, "I can't believe this weekend is pretty much over." She rested her head on Erica's shoulder intertwined her fingers with Erica's. "I really don't want to leave. Do you?"

"No, I don't. But we have to. We have to get back to our lives at some point. You're would miss breaking bones too much and I'd miss fixing hearts."

"Yeah, but..." Callie looked down. She liked the life they were living in their little cottage. Wouldn't it be nice to just stay there, forever? As silly as the thought was, she liked it better than facing what waited for them at work.

Erica understood Callie's feelings, but she knew better than to run from a problem. "Going back to our lives will just give us something to look forward to." Erica whispered.

"What?" Callie asked.

"More vacations together." Erica said with a laugh. Callie grinned at her before she kissed her again briefly.

Glancing out the window, Callie saw that the rain had let up. "Looks like the rain stopped. Want to go for a walk? I'm dying to see what's out on those trails before we leave."

"Are your toes up to it?" Erica asked.

"Absolutely."

"Then let's go. I was going a little stir crazy earlier when you fell asleep on me." Still hand in hand, they ran back to the bedroom to put on clothes for the first time that day.


	29. Parental Plan of Action

**A/N:** The vacation's just about over for my two ladies... what will await them when they return home? We all know it's not all fun and games at Seattle Grace! Stay tuned and let me know what you think!

* * *

Leaving the sanctuary of the cottage hand in hand, they walked past the lake and headed north in a comfortable silence. Callie didn't feel the need to talk incessantly around Erica. She knew what Erica was thinking most of the time and although Erica didn't realize it, she too knew what Callie was usually thinking. The rain had stopped but the clouds overhead foretold of more precipitation. The trails were well marked and the two decided to follow the signs for a trail that was just over a mile long, intending to get back before the rain started again. Before long they had reached the end of the trail they'd chosen. The trail had wound up around the lake and through a portion of the forest before breaking off in a field filled with wildflowers. The rain from earlier that day had made the grass greener than usual and the wildflowers formed a rainbow that created a stark contrast of colors. At the opposite end of the field, the ground dropped off to a steep decline. At this elevation, it looked like a layer of clouds had descended into the canyon, leaving a second layer above them. They could see across the canyon to the peaks of the mountains across the way. The view, simply put, was breathtaking. Callie gazed off into the distance, taking in all that she could of the view. Off to her side, she heard a click. Glancing towards the source of the sound, she found Erica snapping a picture of her with the camera on her cell phone.

"I wish my camera wasn't still in my luggage." Erica said quietly.

Smiling at Erica as she snapped another picture of her, Callie quietly said "We don't need cameras to capture these moments. As long as we're together, we'll remember them. They're our memories; we don't have to share them with anyone else."

Erica wrapped one arm around Callie's shoulder and leaned in close to Callie, while using her other hand to hold the camera phone as far from them as possible. She snapped another picture of the two of them. Showing it to Callie, they were both surprised at how nice it had come out. Usually pictures taken like that don't come out well. Because of the sharp angle and the too-short length of the picture taker's arm, the photo usually centers on the nostrils of the subject being photographed. Not this time, though. The photo actually looked cute. The smiles were genuine and the background was as beautiful as the two women in the foreground.

"I like having pictures anyway." Erica murmured, as she saved the photo as her phone's wallpaper. "Callie, I've never, in my entire life, had someone who cared so much about me and who I cared so much about. I like having reminders of that love around me, wherever I am. Even if they're cheesy cell phone photos."

Taking Erica's hand and leading her over to a boulder at the edge of the canyon, she sat the two of them down. Looking out over the edge of the cliff in front of them, Callie wrapped her arm around Erica and said "I'm not going anywhere. You'll be able to take all of the pictures that you want, whenever you want. You're stuck with me, you know that, right?"

Erica nodded, gazing down into her hands. When she spoke, she was surprised at the emotion already evident in her voice. "I'm afraid that when we leave here, and when it comes time to tell your parents, that you might change your mind. I'm sorry that I'm scared of that. It's not that I don't trust you or what you've told me, because I really do. But it's so easy for us to be brave here. We've been accepted and welcomed and we've been comfortable here. It's easy to gain a false sense of security when you're this comfortable."

"Erica, I promise you that I'm not going anywhere." Turning her face to look at Erica, Callie continued: "I know deep, deep down in my heart that my parents are not going to accept us, at least when I first tell them. That breaks my heart because I know if they took the time to get to know you, they'd love you as much as I do. But they're old fashioned and they're protective of me, even though they have no reason to try to protect me from what we have together. But I am still not going anywhere. All I ask of you is that you be there for me when they cut me out of their lives. I need you now, but I'm going to need you more than ever then. And I'm going to need you when I have to work my way back in to their lives. Even though they won't accept me and my love for you at first, I can't give up on them. They are my parents and I love them and I'm going to need you to help me back into their lives, okay?"

"Okay." Erica nodded, comforted by Callie's promise but still scared. "How do you want to tell them?" She asked cautiously.

"I'd like to invite them to your house, if that's okay. I can't imagine telling them over the phone." Callie said.

"Sure, that would be fine. But it's our house. You live there too, remember?" Erica smiled.

"I'll consider it our house when I start contributing to the household expenses, okay?" Callie smiled back. She loved the thought of being domestic with Erica, but she wanted to pay her fair share of things too.

"Mmm, we'll see." Erica said, winking at Callie.

"What do you mean, 'we'll see'? If I'm going to be living there, I am going to pay for half the expenses. Period. Why should you pay your mortgage payment and the utilities and the groceries and the-"

Callie was cut off by Erica, but Erica's tone was mischievous and not mean. "I don't have a mortgage payment, Callie. And you're trying to change the subject."

"You don't have a mortgage payment?" Callie asked, genuinely surprised. It would take Callie forty years to pay off a house like Erica's, even with her savings and the inheritance she may or may not be set to lose after she came out to her parents.

"No I don't have a mortgage payment. And if you want to chip in on the other expenses, we can talk about it when we get home, okay?" Erica said, clearly uncomfortable. She did not like to discuss money, it felt like bragging. Being one of the country's best surgeons, Erica was far more than comfortable financially, but she did not like to broadcast it. She also knew what an orthopedic resident made, and it didn't come close to her salary. Erica really didn't mind being the breadwinner if Callie would allow it, but she also knew that Callie was too proud for that, and Erica was impressed by that aspect of her personality.

Callie was not to be denied an answer. "But how do you not have a mortgage payment? I mean, you've only been in Seattle for about 8 years, how did you pay off that house so fast?" Callie asked, forgetting her manners completely.

"You're really trying to change the subject, aren't you Cal?" Erica asked gently before putting them back on track. "When do you want to invite your parents out?"

Sighing partly because she'd been denied the satisfaction of her curiosity and partly because Erica was right about trying to change the subject, she replied "I don't know. I don't want to put off the inevitable but I also don't want to invite them right away. Could we wait a couple of weeks? Could we develop a routine and get comfortable living together first?"

"It's not up to me, Callie. But if you want to wait a few weeks, that's fine. I think it's a good idea for you to be completely settled in before we have them over. When we get back, let's go over our schedules so we can both take some time off of work when they come in, and that way we're not pressured by work. It's going to be stressful enough as it is."

"Tell me about it." Callie muttered. "I don't even know what I'll say to them, or even how to get them to come out here without giving something away over the phone. I mean maybe I won't have to say anything at all. Maybe they'll just look at me and know that I'm happy. Maybe they'll just know."

"Callie, you can't hide this from them and you're going to have to tell them at some point. Something tells me that your parents are not the mind readers that you are." Erica replied.

"I guess not. But where do I even start? 'Mom, Dad, meet Erica- my girlfriend' sounds like a pretty cheesy introduction on so many levels. You're more than my girlfriend, and you're worthy of a far better introduction than that."

"You should probably tell them that you're inviting them out to tell them something that is very important to you. Leave it at that until they arrive. Make it sound serious but not scary. I don't want them thinking you're terminally ill or anything." Erica said.

"I am sick though." Callie said quietly. "Sick over the thought of the fight that's going to erupt and of what I stand to lose. But-" Callie changed gears, "I know that my hot doctor girlfriend is an expert at hearts and she's going to make sure that I survive this. It's not going to be terminal."

Laughing a bit, Erica continued. "You're right about that. I won't let this be terminal. And when they get here, you can start out telling them that you're living with me because things didn't work out at Cristina's apartment. You don't have to tell them what she did if you don't want to. From there, you can tell them about our friendship, how it started and how it developed into something more."

"They already know about you, friendship-wise." Callie said, smiling. "I tell them all the time how much fun I have with you and all the things we do together. They know that you were my shoulder to cry on when the divorce from George was final. They know all about you as my friend, and come to think of it they've said that they wanted to meet you sometime. I was just too scared of myself and the feelings I was having for you to tell them anything more about us. And, well, I haven't spoken to them in the week since we've kissed."

"That's unusual, Callie. You talk to them a lot, don't you?" Erica asked.

"About two or three times a week." Callie replied.

"Callie, you cannot preemptively cut your parents out of your life because of your fear of letting them know about us." Erica said sternly.

Defensively, Callie said "Well, they were away at the beginning of the week and I just left them a voicemail saying I was going away for the weekend. So I really didn't do that, but it worked out so that I also didn't have to hide anything from them over the phone."

"So you'll call them when we get back?" Erica asked. She didn't want Callie to start withdrawing from her family because of her.

"And tell them what?" Callie asked, fear starting to show on her face.

"How nice a time you had at the spa?" Erica asked back. "You don't have to give them details, Callie. They don't need to know how many times we had sex here. I'd like to think that you didn't tell them those things about George and Mark so you wouldn't tell them those things about me, too."

Sighing, Callie laughed a little bit. "I didn't tell them anything about George and Mark when I was with them. With George, well, he was my husband so they must have known that I was having sex with him, but we never discussed it. They didn't even know about Mark. I'm not sure what it meant, but he never came up in our conversations and I never told them about him. Mark was just a means to an end; he wasn't some great love in my life. Every time I'd get all turned on by you, I'd run to him to satisfy that need and he was completely content with how things stood. I'm sorry for that." Callie paused to look at Erica again before she continued. "I'm sorry for running to him when I should have been honest with you. But I was scared, and I think you were scared too. I never meant to play games with your emotions, and I hope you know that."

"I do know that. It hurt like hell seeing you with him but I know why you did it. Callie, in your shoes I'd have probably done the same thing. Except maybe not with Sloan. I do have standards, you know." Erica said that last part with a grin.

"Hey!" Callie said as she swatted Erica's arm. "He really isn't that bad once you get to know him."

"Are you suggesting I sleep with him?" Erica asked, trying to bring a smile to Callie's face.

"No way. You're mine. No cheating, especially with the dirty pretty man whore." Callie smiled back, knowing she'd never have to worry about Erica cheating.

"So when we get back we'll check our schedules and arrange some time off. Then, you call your parents and invite them out. You said already that they wanted to meet me, so you're all set with a good reason to have them fly out to see us. When they get here, we'll have them over for dinner and tell them the first night. It would be better to just get it over with. I think you'll be too sick with worry to put it off for any period of time while they're here and frankly I want them to see how happy you are with me. If you're sick with worry the whole time, they're going to think I'm doing that to you." Erica rubbed her thumb over Callie's hand, which was still firmly in hers.

"Okay." Callie whispered. She knew she had to get this over with, but she couldn't look forward to it. She was proud of her love for Erica, there was no denying that. She just couldn't bear the thought of losing the love of her parents.

"We don't have to talk about this anymore today, if you don't want to." Erica said, seeing the sadness filter onto Callie's face. "Let's enjoy our last afternoon here before we head home to reality, shall we?"

Getting up, the two wandered back the way they came, slowly making their way out of the field. At the edge of the forest, Callie pulled Erica close to her and kissed her.

"I love you, Erica." She murmured, pulling Erica as close to her as she could. Erica kissed her back, their love for each other passing back and forth between them. Erica was constantly amazed at the effects, both emotional and physical, that Callie had on her heart. Nothing in her studies or research could have ever prepared her heart for a love like this.

A rumble of thunder brought them out of their amorous embrace and before they could even continue on their way back to the cottage, it started pouring. Face up to the clouds, arms out at her sides with her palms up, Callie laughed into the sheets of rain that fell upon her while Erica looked at her in amazement. She secretly wished she could be as free as Callie at that moment. The two of them were soaked through in a matter of seconds, but Callie just stood there and laughed at the rain. It struck Callie as ironic that life could be both wonderful and unfair at the same time. It could start to rain icy water down on her while she kissed the woman she loved, but with Erica's help she'd dry off and warm up eventually. Her family could cut her out of their lives but she'd still be a family with the woman she loved. Laughing still, she took a puzzled Erica by the hand and ran with her back into the field, darting in and out of the rainbow of wildflowers, spinning in circles and jumping over rocks and puddles, working off the nervous energy that had built up over discussing her family. Callie's mood was infectious, and soon Erica was laughing, running and spinning in the downpour with her. Dizzy and out of breath, they found themselves back at the entrance to the walking path. Erica took Callie's other hand and pulled her towards her, kissing her hard and tasting the rain on her lips.

"I love you too, Callie. Don't ever forget that." She said over the rain as they pulled apart, speaking again as if their conversation from moments before had never ended.

The rain continued to pour down as they wandered back to their cottage. There was no need to run- they were already soaked to the bone. Instead, they let the rain wash away any anxiety they had been feeling. The forest had taken on a fresh, rainy scent and the two enjoyed the cool mountain air. It wasn't long before the pretty white cottage stood against the green and grey backdrop created by the weather and the lake below.

Inside once again, Erica stopped short just inside the door. Pushing a shivinering Callie up against the door, she growled "Better get those wet clothes off, before you catch a cold" as she began to unbutton Callie's shirt while kissing her neck.

"Yeah, wouldn't want that..." Callie whispered back as she peeled Erica's shirt up over her head. Slowly working their way back towards the bedroom, they kissed and kissed, leaving a trail of wet clothing behind them.


	30. Heading Home

**A/N: **Time to head back to Seattle. Ready? Things get a bit dramatic after this chapter!

* * *

The alarm clock the next morning was an unwelcome reminder that reality had begun to set back in. Untangling themselves from one another and rubbing the sleep out of their eyes, they said their good mornings and headed to the bathroom together. Routine was slowly making its way into their lives as they brushed their teeth side by side.

"Do you want to shower first?" Erica, ever the sensible one, asked. "I can pack for us while you shower, if you want." Their lovemaking the night before had turned their attention away from that one important task and now they were going to run late because of it.

"I want to shower with you." Callie said. It was, after all, their last morning in their dream cottage and she didn't want to waste it.

"Callie, we have a flight to catch, and we're not even packed." Erica crossed her arms in front of her. Already she was losing some of the relaxation she'd gained while on this trip. She just didn't want to leave, plain and simple, but she also didn't have a choice. Reality could really bite sometimes.

"We don't have to do anything in there but shower, Erica." Callie pointed out, puzzled and saddened by the change in Erica's demeanor. She too was starting to feel a bit stressed about leaving, so she could understand where Erica was coming from, but she definitely wasn't looking for an argument.

Arms still crossed but smiling now, Erica agreed. "Fine". That single word combined with the crossed arms reminded Callie so much of the first night she had hung out with Erica that she had to smile too.

The two were fairly well behaved for being in the shower together. When they stepped out, they dried their hair and put on the last of the outfits Jason had given them. The outfits they had bought with the airline vouchers to return home in were still packed in the shopping bags from the mall, long forgotten in favor of the designer threads they now sported.

"Um, we have no luggage." Callie said, stating the obvious. "This stuff isn't going to fit in our carry on bags, and I'm pretty sure we can't check plastic hotel laundry bags either. What are we going to pack these clothes in? I'm not leaving without them!" Callie finished with a laugh.

"I'll run up to the gift shop and see if they've got anything." Erica replied, looking at her watch but laughing at the same time. "Can you make sure that all of our toiletries and make up are out of the bathroom and ready to go? We're cutting this kinda close."

Callie did just that as Erica jogged back up to the main hotel grounds with her wallet. Returning a few minutes later, Erica had two large duffle bags with the spa's logo on them. They were really meant for tennis equipment, but they'd do the job of getting their new clothes home for them just fine. Placing the clothes that Callie had already folded into the bags, she zipped them up and brought them to the door in the kitchen. Callie was already calling for a golf cart to pick them up and take them to the front desk. Taking one last look around, Erica made sure nothing was left behind. Sure that they were ready to go, she met Callie outside of the cottage and waited with her for the golf cart, which arrived within minutes.

At the checkout counter, the two were dismayed to see neither Jason nor William. Both wanted to thank them again for their hospitality. The clerk printed their final bill, which was far less than what it should have been, and sent the bellhop out with their duffle bags to the valet. Callie and Erica both knew that the reduction in the bill had been Jason and William's doing. "We're going to have to thank them in a big way." Callie said to Erica as she signed the credit card slip.

"Yes, but how?" Erica asked.

"We'll have to have our wedding reception here." Callie joked.

"We already promised Amanda and Jessica we'd have it by them." Erica joked back.

"Well, we're going to have to think of something." Callie said as she pulled her purse up over her shoulder and walked away from the counter with Erica.

Stepping outside, the two were greeted politely by the valet before they drove off, back towards the rental car return at the airport. Callie laughed a little bit, thinking about how scared she'd been of arriving at the spa and being turned away. Things had a way of working themselves out, and that really gave her courage. She told Erica as much.

"See, I told you that they'd welcome us here." Erica grinned.

"But you couldn't have known that it would be with such open arms." Callie pointed out.

"You're right, that I did not know. But I was still right anyway. And maybe, just maybe, I'll be right about your parent's too." Erica took one hand off the wheel and squeezed Callie's. "Things have a way of working themselves out, Callie. You said it yourself."

"Things have a way of working themselves out." Callie repeated and sighed. "I guess we're going to find out, one way or the other."

"Cheer up, Callie. You haven't even invited your parents out yet and their visit is still a few weeks away. Let's enjoy our new life together until things get tumultuous, okay?" Erica prodded.

"There's not a second with you that I don't enjoy, Erica. Even when you're bugging me about fried foods." Callie giggled, letting go of her anxiety for now.

At the airport, they checked their tennis bag luggage and made their way through security. It wasn't long before they were seated on the plane, heads together in conversation while waiting for takeoff.

"Thanks for the best weekend of my life, Callie." Erica said as she took Callie's hand in her own.

"You already thanked me, before we even got there, remember?" Callie asked sweetly.

"But this weekend was so much more than I could have imagined. Thank you. Thank you for the obvious things- the gift of the trip itself and the things you paid for while we were there. But thank you even more for the love that you gave me, the happiness that you've brought into my life, and thank you for being you." Erica was shocked to find herself teary-eyed. A week ago, she barely ever cried, and now she was turning into a giant mush. She was surprised to see that she really didn't mind it much. Dr. Wyatt would be thrilled, if she ever bothered to let her know. She had to draw the line somewhere, didn't she? Letting Callie in was one thing, but she was after all Erica Hahn, and she did enjoy her tough exterior around others.

"You're welcome. And thank you. Thank you for your love and your support. Thank you for letting me in to your life and making me a part of it." Callie whispered back.

Before Erica could reply, the jet's engines had moved up to full throttle and drowned out any reply she could have given. They were now hurtling towards the end of the runway. The speed of the plane reminded Erica of the speed that their relationship had taken, and just like she was unafraid of flying, she was also unafraid of hurtling into this relationship with Callie. She felt a confidence about her that she usually only felt while standing in the OR. Smiling at Callie, Erica kissed her gently on the cheek as they became airborne.

The remainder of the flight was spent in relative silence, with Callie dozing while resting her head on Erica's shoulder. Erica flipped through the in-flight magazine, not really reading it. Erica gave the old man in the seat in front of them a dirty look every time he turned around to scowl at them and snicker to his equally old wife. She knew that their lives were going to be filled with moments like these- moments where they would have to defy the looks or the insults tossed at them by the intolerant. She hated it, but she knew that Callie was worth every one of those moments. She wondered how Callie could be so oblivious to it.

"That guy's an ass. Ignore him." Callie's whispered words startled Erica because she was sure that Callie hadn't even seen what was going on.

"I thought you were sleeping." Erica whispered back.

"I was, until you started turning the pages of the magazine so hard that you almost knocked me off of your shoulder." Callie giggled.

"Sorry." Erica said, flustered.

"Don't be. Never, ever be sorry for loving me. I'll never be sorry for loving you, no matter how ugly the looks get from the people around us." Callie had raised her voice slightly as the old man had turned around to glare again. Taking the hint, he faced forward in his seat.

Placated by Callie's little triumph, the two went back to their conversation. "I'm sick of the looks already. Are we really going to have to deal with that for the rest of our lives?" Erica asked.

"Probably." Callie answered honestly. "But you, of all people, should know how to deal with that."

"It's hard to tune people out and shut off my feelings when it comes to matters concerning you, Callie." Erica said matter-of-factly.

"I'm honored. But don't forget that people like owl-man in front of us have nothing to do with me or you. They're just nosy people who don't know how to mind their own business. They're just rude people who simply can't learn tolerance or respect for the feelings of others. So turn your feelings about them off, the same way you do in an operating room. I know you can do that." Erica laughed at Callie's perception of the man in the seat in front of them. His scowl did make him look like an owl- an owl with constipation, maybe. And thinking of him like that made it much easier for Erica to freeze him out the same way she'd frozen out so many others before. Maybe that was a handy skill to have, as detrimental as it had been for her previously. Erica whispered her constipated owl analogy to Callie and soon the two were laughing like schoolgirls. This brought a dirty look from owl-man's wife, and Callie quickly commented to Erica that she looked a little like she'd run face first into an upright shovel. This brought more peels of laughter from the two of them.

During the flight, the two women had established something. Erica had unknowingly taught Callie how to freeze people out. Callie had unknowingly taught her how to feel again. The combination of skills, while contradictory to one another, could be considered a detriment to their budding relationship. This was however a tool that they would use together to get through the difficult times that lay ahead for them. Because difficult times did lie ahead of them, even if they didn't know about it yet.

Despite their words of courage and the constipated owl analogy, the two were visibly relieved when the plane landed back in Seattle and they could rid themselves of the dirty looks the man and his wife had been giving them. Arriving at the baggage claim, Callie was exuberant that their tennis bag luggage was waiting for them. Erica made fun of her, saying that she would have been more heartbroken over the loss of her designer clothes than over all of her personal belongings that were still sitting somewhere in Amsterdam. Laughing, they picked up their things and headed home.

When they pulled up in the driveway, Erica didn't shut off the car. She looked over at Callie and smiled. "The night after we kissed, when we pulled up here, I said that there'd be no going back to the way things were. I knew we were in for big changes, but did you ever expect all of this?"

"Nope." Callie shook her head, and looked at Erica searching her eyes as if it was the first time she'd ever looked at her. "The adventure starts here Erica. When we pulled up here a week ago, you and me, we weren't together yet. Now, we're an 'us'. We're in this together. I'm looking forward to building a life with you."

"Me too Cal, me too." Erica said as she shut off the car. The two of them walked inside together, hand in hand.

* * *

**A/N:** Originally I had planned to end the story here. The story was just centered on Callie and Erica's first week together, so this was the perfect point to end the story... except that I didn't resolve the issue with Cristina Yang (and I really want to, because despite how I portrayed her here, I really do like her character on the show) and I also hadn't brought Callie's parents into the picture. So for those of you who are loyal readers, there are still several chapters to come. And who knows... if you inspire me enough, maybe the story never will end! :D


	31. Surprise!

**A/N:** Well, things are going to get interesting again. That's all I have to say about that. I hope you're still reading and enjoying this. Thanks for all of the great reviews you've all left so far! They're very much appreciated!

* * *

The night they returned home, the two started back into their routines. They unpacked, did laundry, sorted through the accumulated mail, and Callie settled in to read the newspapers that had piled up in their absence while Erica went over her charts for the bypass she had scheduled the next morning.

"Erica!" Callie screamed.

Running into the kitchen, Erica expected to find Callie lying bleeding on the floor. Instead, she found a very pale Callie looking at the Sunday paper. Holding the page she was reading out to Erica with shaking hands, Erica grew frustrated at what she saw.

"This is a picture of Jason and William dancing Callie. We were there in person and there was nothing remotely scary about it. I thought you were hurt in here!" Erica said, clipping the ends of her words in the manner that showed her anger. She did not like being interrupted when she was prepping for a surgery and she thought Callie would know that about her by now.

"Look behind them." Callie was near tears, though she was doing her best to stave them off. She rested her head in her hands and tried to keep the contents of her stomach from reappearing all over the table in front of her.

In the background of the picture, just to the left of the two men, were two women dancing together, forehead to forehead and arms wrapped tightly around one another. To the casual viewer, the two were indistinguishable from the rest of the crowd. To their family and friends, it would be obvious that it was Callie and Erica dancing a very slow, intimate dance together.

"Oh." Was all that Erica could muster. The picture, which took up nearly half a page, was in the society section of the paper. The column was one that was syndicated in papers nationwide. Being members of high society themselves, Callie's parents not only appeared often in the society pages of the paper, but they also spend a good deal of time reading the society pages. "Oh." Erica repeated, the ramifications of the photo already playing out in her mind. Moving around to Callie and pulling her into her arms, she did her best to comfort her. "It's possible they didn't see it, Callie. And if they did, maybe they didn't recognize you."

"I doubt it." Callie muttered.

"You need to call them." Erica said.

"This is going to kill me, Erica. Why does it have to be so hard? We had a plan in place. Why couldn't we just follow the plan?"

"Because life doesn't always go according to plan, Callie. And we can still follow our plan. We can invite them out and we can tell them. We just need to do it sooner rather than later now." Erica reasoned.

"I can't. I can't do it. I want to, but I can't. I can't tell them over the phone. It's not right." Callie was close to hyperventilating again.

"It would be better if you called them than having them call to question you, Callie." Erica said gently.

"I know. But I'm scared. And I think if they'd seen it and recognized me, they'd have called me, like you said. Besides, I can't call them right now. It's late back east, they're probably already sleeping." Callie rationalized, still shaking and precariously pale.

"Come with me." Erica said, taking Callie by the hand and leading her to the bathroom. "Do you have any surgeries scheduled for tomorrow?" Erica asked.

"No." Callie said, uncertain of what Erica was going to do.

"Are you on call for the pit?" Erica asked.

"Not that I know of." Callie replied.

"Then take one of these." Erica handed her a pill from a prescription bottle she removed from her medicine cabinet.

"What is it?" Callie asked, cautious. She knew better than to take something prescribed for someone else.

"A Xanax. Dr. Wyatt prescribed them for me a few months ago to help me deal with a lot of sleepless nights I'd been having. It'll help you relax and fall asleep, that's all. The dosage is pretty low so you won't have to worry about being too groggy in the morning. We'll deal with the picture issue tomorrow. Right now you need your rest." Holding up a hand to intercept Callie's protest, Erica continued. "I'll write you a script for it if it would make you feel better. You need this, and as a licensed physician I'm instructing you to take it."

Callie waited a second, thinking, before she popped the pill into her mouth and swallowed it dry. She let herself believe that it was the pill that left the bitter taste in her mouth. Erica led Callie to the bedroom and undressed her. Helping her into an oversized t-shirt, she then tucked her in to bed. Thinking that Callie was comfortable and would drift off after the pill kicked in, she kissed her goodnight and left for a while to finish reviewing her charts. When she returned, she was surprised to see Callie lying there, still wide awake and crying silently.

"You need to sleep." She said quietly as she changed into pajamas.

"I can't sleep without you. Hold me." Callie whispered, and Erica complied. Turning towards Erica and resting her head against her shoulder, Callie cried herself into a listless sleep, her dreams filled with angry voices that sounded a lot like her parents. Erica didn't sleep at all, her brain flashing through the events of the last several weeks in a spastic slide show that wouldn't go off. She hadn't told Callie that the Xanax was prescribed for her because it had been thoughts of Callie that were keeping her awake for days at a time. When she'd nearly clipped an artery in a surgery after 3 nights of little or no sleep, she'd finally confessed to Dr. Wyatt about her feelings for Callie. To her credit, Dr. Wyatt had been incredibly professional. Then again, as a therapist, she'd probably heard more amazing things than one female suddenly discovering she had feelings for another female. Dr. Wyatt prescribed the Xanax and told her to take it when she needed it, but not before a surgery or when she was on call. Erica wondered if Dr. Wyatt secretly knew that the pills would not help her at all until she confronted Callie, because it wasn't until the night Callie kissed her that she'd slept for more than a few hours. The pills had been essentially useless. Callie was all the medicine she needed, and she knew that she'd become addicted to her in very short time. What would the withdrawal be like, if Callie suddenly decided that she couldn't be with Erica anymore?

Despite Erica's reassurances, Callie did wake up groggy the next morning. She felt like something really awful was about to happen to her, and the grogginess from the pill she'd taken was making her cranky with worry. Her stomach was out of sorts and she had a hard time concentrating on anything. She attributed it to the picture in the paper and the inevitable phone call she was going to have to make that day.

Erica walked into the room with a mug of tea and the cordless phone. She put them both on the nightstand and sat on the bed next to Callie. Pushing a clump of unruly curls out of Callie's eyes for her, Erica leaned in and kissed her lightly while giving her a strong hug. "Have some tea and then we'll make the call together, okay?"

Callie nodded, taking the mug that Erica had picked back up to hand to her. Taking a sip, she let the warmth spread from her mouth into her stomach, calming her. Erica knew how to take care of her. She could trust Erica to take care of her when the phone call was over. Drinking a bit more while openly staring into Erica's eyes, she mustered up her courage. Placing the cup back on the nightstand, she leaned in and kissed Erica before picking up the cordless phone. Her hands were shaking so hard that she misdialed her parent's number twice. Erica plucked the phone from Callie's hand and gave her back the mug of tea. "Drink a bit more. We've got some time yet." Doing as she was told, she finished the mug of tea. She then told Erica the number for her parent's house and Erica dialed it for her, handing her the phone after pressing the last button.

On the other end, the phone started to ring. Whether it was her nerves or the aftereffects of the Xanax, each shrill ring of the phone sliced through Callie like a carving knife. She held the phone away from her ear slightly just to dull the sound.

Callie felt Erica take her free hand and squeeze it. She squeezed back.

The phone continued to ring.

Watching her patiently, Erica waited for some sign from Callie.

"It's ringing." She said quietly, as the phone rang for a fourth, fifth and sixth time. Finally, the answering machine picked up, causing Callie to jump. Just the sound of her father's voice on the machine was enough to scare Callie. She didn't like the state she was in at all. She needed to be brave. She needed to be able to tell her parents that she'd found the love of her life and that love just happened to be another woman. Right now, she couldn't even call up and explain a photo in the paper or invite them over to meet Erica. This was not a good state to be in.

"Uh, hey, mom and dad, it's Callie." Uncomfortable pause. She didn't sound like herself at all. She never identified herself on her parent's answering machine because they knew who she was just by the sound of her voice. Callie chalked it up to the fact that she'd changed so much in the last week that it felt like they wouldn't recognize her when she called. "When you get in, can you... can you give me a call? I'm um, working today so you should call my cell phone. I need to talk to you." Another pause. "I love you. Bye." Callie pressed the button on the phone to disconnect the call and then let the phone drop from her hand as if it burned her to touch it. "The answering machine picked up." Callie said, even though she knew that Erica already could tell that.

"OK, well, we'll just have to wait for them to call you back, that's all. They probably didn't see the picture Callie, so don't worry so much." Erica kissed her forehead gently. "Come on, we've got to go back to work. Breaking some bones should really help take your mind off of all of this." Erica tried to joke but the joke was lost on Callie. She had images of her father trying to break _her_ bones. He wasn't a pleasant man when he was angry.

Taking Callie by the hand, Erica led her to the bathroom and undressed her. The two showered together again. Erica washed Callie from head to toe, and then massaged her back and neck for a few minutes, trying, but failing to ease some of the tension from Callie. She let Callie rest under the hot water as she washed herself. Callie was too numb to do much of anything at this point. Erica hoped that the hustle and bustle of working in the hospital would take her mind off of her worries for a little while. She had no idea that bringing Callie to the hospital was going to be the very thing that brought Callie's fears into reality.

An hour later, they pulled into Erica's reserved parking spot and started walking in to the hospital. Callie was starting to feel a bit better. Her cell phone had not yet rung, and she was starting to get curious about where her parents could be so early in the morning. Walking in, hand in hand, they caught an empty elevator up to the fourth floor, making out the entire time. She swore that the elevators at Seattle Grace had pheremones pumped in. It was nearly impossible to work there and _not_ kiss someone while riding the elevator. She gave a disappointed groan when the bell chimed and the doors slid open. Erica was encouraged by Callie's improved mood and kissed her again on the cheek when they separated to go to their respective lounges. They already had plans to meet after rounds and again for lunch. Erica's bypass surgery wasn't scheduled until that afternoon, so they'd have plenty of time to ease back into their work routines. Callie changed into scrubs and pulled her hair up into a ponytail, ready to face her day. She met up with Dr. Bailey and reviewed the charts that had been assigned to her. Dr. Bailey looked at her closely.

"What? Is something wrong?" Callie asked, uncomfortable under Miranda's scrutiny. She wondered if she had food in her teeth, but then she realized she never ate breakfast.

"You seem pretty calm." Miranda answered.

"Huh?" Came Callie's educated response.

Something flickered in Miranda's eyes before she changed tack. "Never mind. See Dr. Sloan today. He has a patient who needs an Ortho consult before he does some facial surgery." and with that, Miranda walked away, leaving a very puzzled Callie behind.

Meanwhile, Erica walked into the attending's lounge to find Mark Sloan ripping something off of the front of her locker. He crumpled it in his hand before he realized he was being watched.

"What do you think you're doing, Sloan?" Erica asked, angry that the dirty pretty man whore was invading her personal space.

Ignoring the tone of Erica's voice, he replied "Just doing the right thing, Dr. Hahn." he said as he tried to walk away.

Erica grabbed him by the upper arm and pulled him back. "What did you just remove from my locker?" She asked, her eyes wary.

"Nothing. Forget you even saw me. And please, can you ask Callie to see me? I need to talk to her. You should probably be there too. I need to see her, quick."

"What's going on, Sloan?" Erica demanded, her last ounce of patience used up.

"Callie's parents are here, they're looking for her. They've probably seen this." He uncrumpled the paper he'd removed from Erica's locker. It was a photocopy of the picture from the newspaper, cropped and blown up so that the two dancing women were now centered on the page. Over it, someone wrote "HOMO" in black marker. "I found one on her locker this morning too. I pulled it off before she saw it." Mark's eyes were sad, disappointment at his colleague's immaturity showing through his rough exterior. He may be a dirty pretty man whore, but he was just looking out for Callie. For both of them, really.

Erica's breath caught in her throat. No wonder why Callie's parent's hadn't picked up their house phone this morning.

"Can you page her?" Mark said gently. "We need to let her know that her parents are here. I'm assuming that she didn't tell them about the two of you yet, correct?"

Erica shook her head and picked up her cell phone. She called Callie, the phone ringing several times before going to her voicemail. She texted her anyway, and told her to get to the attending's lounge right away. She then called the hospital operator and had Callie paged to the attending's lounge. That last effort to track Callie down turned out to be a mistake. Her parents heard the page too, and rounded the corner towards the lounge at the same time Callie rounded the other corner.

"Calliope." There was no mistaking the man who said Callie's name. Callie was the feminine image of her father.

"Callie." Erica said, voice wavering. She was just as scared as Callie. They hadn't had time to prepare for this. Callie had been a wreck all night, crying in her sleep and begging her family to stay with her. Callie looked from her father to Erica and back to her father again. The woman behind Callie's father hadn't said a word yet, but Erica presumed she was Callie's mother. She looked as scared as Callie did.

"Daddy? Mom?"


	32. Crash

**A/N:** I'm unusually nervous about this chapter. I've rewritten it more times than I can count. I'm still not sure that I captured the drama the way it should have played out. Part of the problem was that like Erica, we know very little about Callie and her family. We know she's in touch with her parents, and her father visited her and George in Seattle, but that's about it. Even the official Grey's web site gave very little information other than that Callie is from South Florida. So here's my take on the events. Let me know what you think, but if you hate it, please be gentle. I learn from your criticisms but not from outright insults. ;-)

* * *

Callie looked like a deer caught in headlights. No wonder Dr. Bailey had been staring so intently at her earlier. She was probably memorizing what Callie looked like so she could help to piece her back together again after Callie's parents were finished tearing her apart. They all stood there, the tension ratcheting up a notch for every second of silence.

Mark seemed to be the only sensible one among the group. "Why don't you all step into the lounge?"

No one budged. Everyone seemed to be staring accusingly at everyone else. Callie's father was busy sizing up Erica and Callie's mother was staring at Mark like he had two heads and was speaking in tongues. Mark tried again, using his glance to attempt to guide the group inside. "It's more private in there." He was trying to save them from an inevitable scene in front of all of their colleagues. The hospital's rumor mill had been abuzz since the episode with Cristina last week, they didn't need further fodder. Already the vultures were starting to circle, gathering at the nurses' station and openly staring.

This time, Callie's father moved. He grabbed Callie by the upper arm and steered her forcefully into the lounge, pushing her down hard on to the couch. Erica heard Callie gasp as she was harshly thrown into a seated position. Her mother followed after, still silent. Although Callie's father's posture made Erica's presence feel unwelcome, Erica marched in behind them. She promised Callie she'd be there for her, and this was it. It was time to make good on that promise and protect Callie if she could.

Mark closed the door quietly and caught George as he walked by. Grabbing him, he said quietly "Go get the Chief. Tell him it's not a medical emergency, but it's urgent. Don't pass go, don't collect two hundred dollars. Just bring him here, and fast."

"Is it Callie?" George asked, worry creasing his brow. He'd seen the photocopy on Callie's locker this morning while talking to Izzie in the resident's lounge and had approached Mark about it. He was ashamed over the fact that it was Mark, and not he who had yanked the photocopy down.

"Yes. Just go, hurry." Mark said, taking up a watch post outside of the lounge door as George scurried away. Mark wasn't going to let anyone in to witness this. He felt bad for even being outside, because he could hear everything going on, but he needed to block the door in case anyone tried to walk in to the lounge.

Inside the lounge, all hell had broken loose.

"Young lady, what exactly is the meaning of this?" Seemingly from out of nowhere, Callie's father had pulled the newspaper photo out and had shoved it dangerously close to her face. Callie flinched, thinking she was about to be hit. She looked at it for a long moment, and opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. She tried unsuccessfully again, and then a third time, before her mother finally spoke.

"Calliope, is that you in the picture?"

"Yes." She finally squeaked out, her voice high-pitched and sounding very much like a little girl.

"And is that _her_ that you are dancing with?" Callie's mother glared over at Erica before returning her burning stare back at Callie.

"Yes." Callie managed again, sounding more like herself.

"What were you doing at a _gay_ party dancing with another woman?" Callie's father asked, not bothering to hide the disgust in his voice.

"I-" Callie was surprised she could speak, but she pressed on. "It wasn't a gay party. I don't even know what you mean by 'gay party'. We went to the spa on a little vacation, I told you about that. We were invited to the party by the spa's owners. You see them in the picture, there." Callie pointed, stalling for time. "Erica had operated on Jason's father; she saved his life, so the two of them invited us to the party as a way of saying thank you."

"And did they force you to dance like that?" Callie's father growled, waving the paper under Callie's face again.

"No. I wanted to dance with Erica."

"You wanted to dance with Erica?" Her father's tone was mocking as he turned around and stared at Erica. "And let me guess, you must be Erica." He continued, turning around to face her.

"I am." Erica said, extending her hand for a handshake. She was haughtily rebuffed. Undeterred, Erica sat down next to Callie and took her hand in her own before she started to speak again. "I have to say we're both a bit surprised to see you here. We were going to invite you out to visit in a few weeks." Erica gently squeezed Callie's hand, encouraging her to talk.

"We?" Callie's mother asked, eyebrows raised. Callie definitely got her distinctive eyebrows from her mother.

"We." Callie said, taking a long, shaky breath and sitting up straighter on the couch. "We were going to invite you out to tell you that we are a couple. A very happy couple."

"Excuse me?" Came Callie's mother's response.

Callie continued, ignoring the tone in her mother's voice. "We started out as friends, became best friends, and now, we're more than that. We're a couple, and we're happy."

Callie's mother gasped at the news, her hand flying to her chest and her face paling. Callie's father turned redder than it already was, and he clenched his fist, effectively crumpling the piece of newsprint in his hand.

"You need help." Mr. Torres began, holding up his hand to silence Erica's protest. "First, you run off and marry that creep George in Las Vegas. As if that wasn't shameful enough to our family, you divorce him three months later. Now you tell me that you're gay? What is the matter with you? Are you so desperate to find someone that you'll sleep with anyone? You need help, so you can see your mistakes. We'll take you home; we'll get you into counseling-"

"I don't need counseling!" Callie screamed. "I love her! I'm happier than I have ever been! I'm not even sure that I'm gay. I was attracted to men before I met Erica. But I fell in love with her. There is nothing wrong with that! You need counseling. You need to step into this century and look around you. I just finished telling you that I am happier than I've ever been and you tell me that I need counseling? George was a mistake, Dad. And considering that this is your second marriage, you should know what it's like to make a mistake. I didn't love him. I love Erica. Erica is not a mistake."

"You obviously do not know what love is. Love is between a man and a woman, Callie. Not this perversion that you've got printed in all the newspapers in all the country. I can't imagine what they're saying about this at the club right now..." Callie's mother trailed off, she had to gasp the words out of her mouth. Her hand was still clenched on her chest and she was very out of breath.

"Who cares what they're saying at the club? You come out here, unannounced, and don't even give me a chance to properly introduce you. You sneak around the hospital as if planning a surprise attack and then ambush me in front of my colleagues. If you'd given me the chance, you'd see that Erica is wonderful, and that I do, in fact, love her very much. She's been better to me than any man ever has. She knows me and she understands me. I've been telling you about her for weeks, you said you couldn't wait to meet her!" Callie tried to keep her tone even but her fear and her surprise at her parent's arrival prevented her from sounding as mature and in-control as she wanted to be.

"This is wrong Calliope, this is very wrong. You need to stop; you need to go see a priest- a priest can help you. You need to apologize to God for this, it's a sin and it's shameful." Callie's mother was so angry that she could barely get the words out. She was shaking and sweating profusely.

"I'm not sorry. There's nothing wrong with this. I'm not apologizing for my love for Erica. I'm happy with her. Give us a chance to show you how happy we are! She's better to me than George ever was. She knows me and she loves me despite my faults. We never imagined we'd be where we are right now, but we're happy, damn it."

"You won't be happy when you lose your allowance and your inheritance, will you, mija? And what about your family? How will it feel to lose them too?" The words were ominous, a poorly-veiled threat to pull Callie back in to walking the straight and narrow. Callie almost laughed. Straight and narrow-minded, perhaps.

"You can keep your money. I've never wanted it, and you know that, so don't try to hold it over my head." Callie spat in response.

"And your family? Look at what you've done to your mother, Calliope. I cannot allow you to continue to hurt her and bring shame on our family. We are good people, with a reputation to uphold. This cannot go on!"

"It will go on. We wanted you in our lives. We'd talked about how close of a family we are and we wanted to show you that we're happy together. We just wanted you to be a part of our lives, and we'd hoped you'd be happy for us. You are my parents and up until this very moment, you've always loved and supported me-"

Callie's father cut her off. "I will not support this and I will not support you. You can see what it's like to live without our financial support. You can also see what it's like when this all falls apart and your mother and I are not there to help you."

"It's not going to fall apart. This isn't some fling, daddy. Do you not hear what I am saying? I love her. She loves me! I also make more than you think, and I don't need your money to support myself." Callie said, her words more of a challenge than a disclosure. "And I'd give you back every penny you've ever given me throughout my life just to get you to understand that I'm happy and I want you to be a part of my life. But if this is what you want, that's fine."

"You think you can do it, mija? You think you can live in sin and support yourself? Because this is a sin. This is _disgusting_."

"I'll be just fine, Daddy. I don't need your approval or your blessing, though I'd hoped for it. Now I realize that I'm better off without it. And your money? Your money has never been the center of my life, though it is clearly the center of yours. If I ever do need to rely on someone, I've got Erica to help me. She's smart and she's very successful. She's more successful than any man I've ever dated. Maybe you shouldn't be so quick to disassociate yourself."

"I will not allow _you_ to be associated with our family and our good name if you continue this, this escapade!" He spat.

"That's your choice. I love Erica and she loves me. She's already stood by me in good times and in bad. So we're going to be together whether you want to be a part of our lives or not." Callie stopped to catch her breath, fighting the waiver in her voice. "The loss is yours, because you'll be missing out on our future." Despite her effort, Callie was crying now. She was crying but she felt strong and she felt secure. Erica's hand had never let go of her, and she felt all the love and support that Erica was putting in to that simple touch. She knew she'd made the right choice and she was proud of herself for standing up for it. But she also felt horribly crushed. She did not want this to be the last time she ever saw her parents. She did not want to lose the relationship she had with them, but they'd already made their decision before they'd even arrived in Seattle. "If you want to walk out of my life, there's the door. You know where to find me when you realize the mistake _you're_ making. I'll be right here, waiting with open arms. Unlike the two of you."

Callie's father stalked across the few feet separating him from his daughter and slapped her so hard her teeth clacked together. Erica jumped up and stood between Callie and her father, her face perilously close to the shorter man's. "What is the matter with you?" She screamed. "Stop and think about what you're doing! Do you realize the wonderful person you're losing? Do you know what you're doing to her?"

"This has nothing to do with you!" Came the screamed reply.

"It has everything to do with me! You just slapped the woman that I love! You hurt her, physically and emotionally! What kind of a father are you?" Erica was dangerously close to punching him.

"I'm the kind of father who knows what is best for my daughter and you are not what is best for her!" He screamed back. Erica lunged forward, but was stopped by Callie's hand on her arm.

"Stop, Erica, stop." Callie whispered, her other hand covering her rapidly-bruising cheek. Standing up beside Erica and looking at her parents, she continued. "There's nothing more to say. I'm not going to stand here and argue and I'm not going to take any more physical abuse from you." She pointed at the door. "I'm going to miss you terribly. I love you both more than you know. I'm disappointed that you don't feel the same way about me. I hope you'll change your mind some day."

"Callie, don't do this-" Mrs. Torres gasped, but nothing else made it out of her mouth. She'd collapsed onto the floor and was no longer breathing.

"Shit, shit, get a crash cart!" Erica screamed, running towards Callie's collapsed mother.

"You dirty whore, you keep your hands off of her!" Callie's father screamed, trying to hold Erica back.

Being the taller and the stronger of the two, Erica easily pushed Callie's father off of herself and bent over Mrs. Torres, feeling for a pulse. There was none. She started chest compressions, screaming at the top of her lungs "WE NEED A CRASH CART IN HERE, STAT!" By the time she leaned in to give rescue breaths, Callie's father had pulled himself up again and kicked the kneeling Erica hard, knocking her backwards and causing her to lose consciousness for a split second.

"Mommy? Mommy?!" Callie was kneeling over her mother, screaming. The doctor in her had disappeared. She no longer had the capacity for coherent thought. If she did, she'd go run and get a crash cart and continue administering CPR. If she'd been able to think properly at all, she'd have checked on Erica and made sure that her father's kick hadn't killed her, too. Instead, her heart kept her firmly anchored to the floor with her mother. She'd been wrong when she said that telling her parents about her relationship with Erica would kill her. She was pretty sure that she'd just killed her mom instead.


	33. Waiting for Absolution

**A/N:** More drama. Though I wasn't as nervous about this part as I was about the initial confrontation. Thanks for the positive reviews, they really made me feel more confident about my writing. I hope my writing has been improving! I know this was a short one, but there's more to come...

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Hearing the increased commotion and the screams for a crash cart from inside the lounge, Mark Sloan grabbed the closest crash cart, yelled for someone to call security and ran inside. Richard Webber wasn't far behind.

"What happened?" He said, racing over to Callie's mother and pulling the screaming Callie off of her, creating a barrier between her, her father and her mother on the floor. Callie's father continued to scream, kicking and punching at Mark Sloan.

"She's in cardiac arrest." Erica said, picking her head up off the floor and trying to sit up. "I tried to start resuscitating and he kicked me. I think he knocked me out."

"I'd say so, by the looks of it." the Chief said as he calmly began intubation. "How long has she been down?"

"Hard to say, because I don't know how long I was down." Erica said as two security officers came in and grabbed the furious Mr. Torres from behind, dragging him out of the lounge kicking and screaming.

"Not more than two minutes." Mark said. Looking to Erica he said quickly "I was standing outside guarding the door. I just didn't want anyone to barge in."

Erica just groaned, trying to get back up on her feet so she could assist Richard with recussitating Callie's mother.

"Don't let her touch my wife! Don't let that sinner touch my wife!" He screamed down the hallway.

"We need to get her into an OR, fast." The Chief said as he charged the paddles and shocked Mrs. Torres. Callie wailed as she saw her mother's body arch when the charged paddles sent their electricity through her. "Erica, you can't even stand up. I have to page Yang. I have to."

Erica knew she was in no shape for surgery, but she wasn't about to let her arch nemesis operate on her girlfriend's mother. "I'm fine, really, I'm fine." She said as she stood, swaying and nearly falling.

"You're not. And you need to be here with Callie." Mark answered, holding Callie while she cried. Realizing that Callie was still in the room and the noise Callie was making while she was crying wasn't the same noise as the blood she heard pumping through her ears, Erica half crawled and half walked over to Callie and pulled her out of Mark's arms, into her own. Callie clung to her like a liferaft in turbulent seas.

Mark got up and paged Cristina Yang, and two orderlies with a stretcher came and picked Callie's mother up off the floor. Richard had already shocked her heart back into a viable rhythm and she was breathing with the assistance of the intubation.

"When she's calmer, you need to get yourself in to see Derek Shepherd. I want you to have a CT scan and facial x-rays. Treat yourself for concussion, don't take any chances." The Chief commanded as he followed the stretcher out of the room.

After they'd been alone for a few minutes, Erica finally spoke again. "I'm so sorry Callie."

Callie continued to cry in her arms, but pulled her closer and wrapped her arms tighter around Erica, burying her face in Erica's hair.

"I wish-" No, she couldn't wish for anything. Erica was at a loss for words. She wished none of this had happened. She wished she could go back in time and prevent everything that had just happened to Callie. But wishing would not make things better right now. "I know she's in good hands with Cristina. They'll pull her through this, and she'll be okay. She was breathing with assistance and had a viable sinus rhythm when they took her to the OR. I-" She stopped. She could not believe that she was going to say this. "I know Cristina is able to help her and she'll do a great job."

Callie pulled away and looked at Erica, whispering through her tears. "He kicked you hard, didn't he?"

"No Callie, I really mean it. If I can't be there to save your mother, I'd rather it be Yang than anyone else." Erica whispered back.

"I'm sorry he kicked you." Callie whispered, still clinging to Erica.

"Don't be. It's not your fault. I'm sorry for everything, Callie. I really had hoped for a better outcome. If you-" Erica stopped herself and tried to sound confident and strong. "If you want to go be with your dad, you should go. I'll keep an eye on Yang and make sure that she's doing all right."

"I want to stay here with you. I said what I needed to say to my father. He needs to calm down and see what he caused here. He's just as much at fault for my mother's heart attack as I am."

"That was not your fault, Callie. You cannot blame yourself for that."

"It was, at least partially, Erica. You know that deep down and so do I. I didn't wish that upon her though, and if she had been the least bit understanding of the situation, maybe it wouldn't have happened. But yes, I did help to cause that heart attack. And if she dies, I'm not going to be able to forgive myself."

"She's not going to die, Callie." Erica just broke the physician's golden rule. She made a promise of life when she knew full well that she could not fulfill that promise. Before she could say anything more, George walked in pushing a wheelchair in front of him. He handed each of them an ice pack and pointed at the wheelchair.

"Dr. Hahn, the Chief asked me to bring you down to radiology. He ordered a CT and an MRI of your head as well as facial x-rays. Callie's more than welcome to come with you." George was his typically nervous self, especially around Erica, but he had sympathy in his eyes for the two of them. "Callie, your mother is in surgery. Cristina is operating and the Chief is there, just in case. She's doing well. Your mother, I mean. Well, Cristina too, but you don't really care about that now do you?"

"George!" Callie yelled, but composed herself quickly. He still had the ability to piss her off with his rambling. Calmer, she asked "how much longer before they're through?"

"Another hour or two, but I've been instructed to bring you updates every 15 minutes, which I will do, as soon as I bring Dr. Hahn here down to radiology."

"I'll go, but I'm not sitting in that thing." Erica said flatly.

"Dr. Hahn, respectfully, please just sit in the chair. You have a head injury, you need to be careful. Hasn't there been enough arguing for one day?" George asked, his face growing redder by the second.

"You're lucky it's been such a shitty day, O'Malley, and that I have no fight left in me. Otherwise I'd have you on SCUT for the rest of your life." Erica said as she eased into the chair, holding the ice pack George had given her to the side of her throbbing face.

"Yes, Dr. Hahn." George answered dutifully. Ever the considerate one, George wheeled Erica down the back way, using the freight elevator so that she would not be seen by many.

Callie held her hand right up until they were ready to load her on the CT table. She then went in to the booth and flicked on the microphone. "Are you okay in there?" she asked quietly.

"Fine. Just hurry up, I want to be out of this thing before your mother's surgery is finished." Erica spoke back.

The technician fed the moving table into the machine and the machine whirred to life. George came back with updates every fifteen minutes, as he'd promised, but he didn't have much to tell. Callie's mother's arteries were clogged from years of poor eating habits. The stress had caused her to throw a clot, causing the myocardial infarction. Cristina had been able to clear the clot and was now performing an angioplasty to relieve some of the buildup in the arteries. Her mother had been relatively stable the whole time, which was an excellent sign.

George also came back at one point and said that security had called the local police when they couldn't control Callie's father. They'd taken him to the local precinct and tossed him in the drunk tank, giving him time to cool down without being a threat to anyone. An officer was still at the hospital to take statements from Callie and Erica. George said the officer had asked if either of the two of them wanted to press charges.

"I don't." Callie said simply. "But Erica may want to. He really hurt her."

"I'm sorry he hurt the both of you, Callie. If there's anything I can do..." George trailed off. He knew there wasn't much he could do. He couldn't fix Callie's mother's heart problems, he couldn't bring Callie's family back together. He offered his time and his efforts anyway, because that's what a friend would do in a situation like that.

Understanding what George was feeling, Callie said simply "Thanks George. For everything."


	34. The Wait is Over

**A/N:** We're going to be on drama road for a few days... but Erica's going to get her kick-ass on after this chapter and I hope you're going to like it. :)

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After they'd finished in Radiology, an orderly came and wheeled Erica into a private room, where he pointedly asked her to put on the hospital gown, get into bed and not yell so much about the whole process. Erica started to protest even louder but a uniformed police officer interrupted her tirade. The orderly left, muttering something about doctors making the worst patients. Erica tossed the gown, still wrapped in plastic, at the chair next to the bed and crawled onto the bed in her scrubs. She wasn't wearing that thing. The police officer gave a short grunt for a laugh.

"Excuse me, Doctors. They told me I could find Erica Hahn and Calliope Torres here?" She asked, the authority in her voice putting an abrupt end to Erica's shrill protest.

"That's us, officer." Callie said quietly.

The officer got right down to business. She'd been waiting long enough; she didn't need to give pleasantries too. "Hospital security called us to respond to an altercation. When we responded, we were also informed that there had been an assault on two women doctors. I need to take a brief statement from the two of you and if you'd like to press charges, I'll need to file some paperwork."

Erica groaned. "I'm really not up for this right now. It's been an incredibly awful day."

"Doctor, I know that you're hurt and that this isn't the best time. But before we can release the prisoner we need to get some things straightened out." The officer responded.

"Prisoner?" Erica asked.

Callie sighed, her hand unconsciously moving to her bruised cheek. "While you were in the CT scanner, George told me that my father had been arrested. When security couldn't subdue him, they called the police. They're holding him in the drunk tank until he calms down."

"We prefer to think of it as a holding cell, Doctor." The officer interrupted gently. "And he's not just being held. He's been arrested on disorderly conduct, assaulting a police officer and resisting arrest. Depending on what the two of you decide to do, the night judge will either send him to central booking for the night or we'll hold him at the precinct until he can be arraigned on the assault charges in the morning and he can post bail himself."

Erica's voice was firm: "I have no desire to press charges."

"Are you sure about that?" Callie asked. "He hurt you. He literally cracked your face. He was ignorant and narrow-minded and violent. I think you should press charges."

"I'm not pressing charges against your dad Callie, period. Being spiteful to him is not going to fix the situation."

Eager to leave, the officer moved further into the room. "I'll just need to take a brief statement from you then, and have you sign off on a release indicating that you do not want to file charges." Out came a leather-bound notepad and a pen. She began to methodically question them, and before long she had a brief version of the events that had taken place that morning. To Erica, it seemed like the statement was a lot like taking a history from a patient. Cover all the bases, but remain cool and distant in order to remain objective. She found giving the statement easier than she'd anticipated.

For the first time since she'd arrived, the officer gave the two women a brief look of pity. She was used to domestic violence victims, but this was an unusual case. A father slapping his daughter around for coming out of the closet and kicking her girlfriend as she tried to save his wife's life was a bit much. "I can see why you said it's been an awful day." The officer said simply. "Doctor Torres, since neither of you wishes to pursue this any further, should you wish to, you can post bail for your father at the North Precinct over on College Way." With that, the officer turned around and left.

"Thank you for not pressing charges, Erica, even though you should have." Callie whispered.

Ignoring Callie's persistence about the assault charges, Erica's reply was short and to the point. "You need to go and bail him out, Callie." After hearing Callie sigh, she continued. "Do you want me to come with you? I could, um, lend you the money if you need it." Erica said gently.

"I can't leave here without knowing what is going on with my mother. I'm not sure I could face him anyway. And you have got to get some rest. You can't be up and on your feet and in a police station. He can post his own bail tomorrow." Callie said.

"No, you need to be the bigger person here. Show him that despite what he said and did today, you still care about him. I know you can do that, even though you're hurting right now. And he needs to be here for your mother, too."

"Erica, please. I can't deal with all of this. I need to know how my mother is doing. I need to stay here and be with you because you're hurt. My father just cut me out of his life! So far as I'm concerned, he's on his own right now." Callie was suddenly sobbing. Erica leaned over and held Callie as tightly as she could.

"Callie, everything is going to be all right. Things have a way of working themselves out, remember?" Erica whispered. This was the moment she feared the most. This was the moment where Callie suddenly weighed her relationship with Erica against her relationship with her parents. It was the moment where Erica knew she'd have to encourage Callie to go get her family back because that was the right thing to do. It was the moment where she'd get her heart broken and even she, Erica Hahn, America's foremost cardio-thoracic surgeon would not be able to repair it.

"That was a crock of bullshit, Erica." Callie sobbed, bitterness tainting her voice as she remembered her words from during their walk together. "Look at where we are now. My mother almost died today. She may be dead right now and no one can find me to tell me. You're hurt. My father is sitting in a jail cell. How the hell is any of this going to work itself out?"

Hurt and discouraged by Callie's words, Erica pulled herself away and stared at her. "It's not bullshit, Callie. I believe that things are going to work themselves out for the best. Have a little faith and a little hope. We're both going to need that to get through this." Leaning back against the bed, Erica realized her head was pounding. This was not the way she had envisioned any of this. She grimaced at the headache, and the spot on her cheek where Callie's father's foot connected with her began to throb. She was dizzy and nauseated and the last thing she needed to do was get her blood pressure elevated during a fight with Callie. She was trying not to lose her and knew she needed to comfort her. Taking a deep breath and taking Callie's hand, she said "Callie, I love you. I love you with all of my heart. So please trust me to help you get through this. You will get through this, and you will be so much stronger than you already are when it's all over with."

"I don't think that I can, Erica. I mean, I trust you and I know that you love me. But I don't think I'm going to survive this. If my mother dies..." Callie was crying again.

"She's not going to die, Callie." Erica's voice was firm.

"How do you know? You know better than to promise life to a patient's family. She was technically already dead. She had no pulse and wasn't breathing. I did that to her. I brought this on my family. I'm the one who should be laying there, not her!" Callie fell apart, bawling and pulling Erica back toward her. Erica took that as a good sign- Callie was still relying on Erica to hold and calm her.

"Callie, please stop this. You cannot blame yourself. We've been through this already. George will be back soon with another update. Please, just try to stay calm. Your tears are not going to help her but your strength will. So focus on her recovery and send her positive thoughts."

They were interrupted when Derek came in to read Erica's films. He told them that she definitely had a concussion and what looked like a hairline fracture to her cheekbone, but her life wasn't in any danger. "You're going to have quite a headache, if you don't have one already. I'd like to put you on an IV for a little while. I can give you intravenous pain killers while we re-hydrate you. Your MRI films were a little less than ideal because you're very dehydrated. A stressful day like today and what I'm assuming is an empty stomach will do that to you." Turning to Callie, he continued: "Ordinarily, I'd keep her here for observation overnight, but given the circumstances, I think it would be okay if you took her home in a few hours. Wake her every hour and if she has any problems waking up or speaking, call an ambulance." Derek instructed Callie.

"I know how to treat a concussion, Derek." Callie said quietly.

"I know you do, Callie, but you've had a rough day and it would be unprofessional of me if I didn't remind you of protocol. I know you're sick with worry, but head down to the cafeteria and pick up something light for the both of you to eat, before they close for the day." Derek squeezed Callie's shoulder and gave her a sad smile before returning his attention to Erica. "Eat something, Dr. Hahn, because you're going to need something in your stomach when these pain meds kick in."

"Thanks." Callie whispered as she looked at her watch. Was it really nearly four o'clock in the afternoon? Where had the time gone? She knew they'd been waiting down in radiology for ages and that the CT and MRI seemed to take forever... but where had the time gone? It wasn't even eleven o'clock in the morning when her parents had pounced on her and her life fell apart, and now it was closing in on four? Callie felt like it was her that had gotten kicked in the head. It dawned on her that her mother was still in surgery and she was suddenly terrified. It had been a lot longer than the two hours George had said it would take, and that was a very bad sign.

Derek left and Callie took Erica's hand in her own. Erica sensed Callie's worry. "Just because it's been longer than they said, it doesn't mean something has gone wrong, Callie. Yang is a good surgeon, but she's inexperienced. The surgery will take longer because of that. I imagine she's probably doing an angioplasty and maybe even a bypass. These things take time, even for me when I do them. It's the heart we're talking about, and slow and steady is what wins the race."

"I know, but I'm still scared." Callie whispered, tears streaming down her cheeks again.

Erica sat up and cupped Callie's face in her hands. "She's going to be all right, Callie. From the updates that George gave you, it's obvious that this was a heart attack waiting to happen. Your mother was lucky she was already in a hospital when it finally hit. We were able to treat it early and her surgery has been very uneventful so far. So think positive, sweetheart. She'll pull through this."

"Even if she does, she won't want to see me or speak to me again." Callie sobbed.

"Don't think that way, Callie. She just might. She might wake up and realize what she came so close to losing." Erica whispered as she kissed Callie softly on the lips before leaning back on the bed, exhausted. Callie crawled onto the bed beside her and snuggled in. They lay there together in silence for a little while, listening to the clock ticking on the far wall of the room. Erica breathed easier knowing that Callie hadn't run from her, but she grieved with Callie for the loss of her parent's love. Erica silently vowed to do whatever she could to bring them all back together again.

"Callie?" Cristina Yang was standing in the doorway. She was still wearing her surgical cap and gown and her mask was hanging loosely around her neck. Her voice held an insecurity that was foreign to all of them. Callie sat up, her breath catching in her throat. Erica sat up behind her, wrapping her arms around her waist and resting her chin on Callie's shoulder.

"Cristina." Callie said as mildly as she could. She didn't know what to say to Cristina. Cristina had violated every bit of trust Callie had ever placed in her, yet she'd had to trust her once again with her mother's life. She waited for Cristina to speak again, fearing the worst.

"Your mother is in recovery. We're going to move her to the ICU as soon as a bed opens up. She's critical but stable and we're going to keep her on telemetry monitoring overnight. She's still intubated but I feel she'll breathe well on her own after we stop sedation. Her heart beat is a bit irregular but we're correcting that with medication right now. I have her under sedation and will keep her that way for the next day or so." Cristina reported, unable to look at either woman in the eye.

"How bad was it?" Callie asked.

"The angioplasty failed twice. We needed to do a quadruple bypass while we were in there. I was able to remove the clot from her atrium and installed the stent without a problem. There was minimal damage to the heart muscle, thanks in part to how quickly we were able to get her into an OR and do the CABG. Once she's in ICU, you can go see her for a few minutes, if you want. I have to go monitor her, unless Dr. Hahn would like to take over the follow up care."

"She's your patient Yang. You can do the follow up. But don't screw this up. If you're unsure of something- anything at all- you need to see me about it immediately." Erica's response was terse, but in reality she was greatly relieved. Callie's mother had made it through the surgery. The next twenty-four hours were going to be touch and go, but if she'd made it this far and if the prognosis was truly as good as Cristina had said, then it was a very good sign that Callie's mother would survive this.

Cristina went to walk away, but stopped for a moment and turned back. "This isn't the right time, but I want to apologize to the two of you, for everything. When things calm down, I'd like to... I'd like to sit down with the two of you... if you'll let me... and apologize the right way. I'm sorry for what happened last week... for what I did and said... and... I'm even sorrier for everything that went on here today. If you give me a chance, I'll show you how sorry I am." Starting to walk away, Cristina stopped herself once more. "Callie, I'm going to take very good care of your mother. I promise you that." Cristina didn't wait for a reply. This time she turned on her heel and half-jogged back to the recovery area, because she intended to make good on her promise to Callie and she couldn't bear to face the two of them in the state they were in right now.


	35. Pudding

**A/N:** Anybody out there? Was the last chapter so bad that only a small number of you bothered to review it? Are you still reading this? I hope so. Thanks for the reviews from those of you who have left them. I'm sorry if these past chapters haven't been as interesting as life at the spa... but our ladies have to work through this sometime! One more chapter of drama, and then Erica gets her kick-ass on. I think this story needs a little Atilla the Hahn, don't you?

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"She's okay!" Callie sobbed, leaning back into Erica's embrace.

"Yes, she's going to be okay Callie. She's going to be all right!" Erica whispered against her, holding her as tight as she could, showering kisses along her clavicle. "She's in good hands... tonight is going to be tough, but she's going to pull through this. You should go down and see her."

"I will, but later. She's sedated... she won't even know I'm there. And you're not. You're not sedated. You're here." Callie suddenly remembered that Erica was in a lot of pain and they'd be in to give her intravenous fluids soon. Turning to face her, she pulled Erica towards her and kissed her forehead lightly. "You, uh, you need some food. Derek said I need to feed you. I'll be right back with some food. God, you must be starving. I'm starving. You too?" Callie was rambling, her energy suddenly renewed. She just couldn't get over that her mother was going to be okay. "She's going to be okay!" and suddenly she remembered Cristina. "Holy crap, Cristina Yang apologized and no one was making her!" Erica didn't look amused. " I'll go get us some food." Callie repeated, changing quickly back to a safer subject.

Erica laughed lightly as Callie kissed her forehead again. Sometimes Callie's emotions could flutter around like butterflies, and it was a show that only Erica had ever been privileged to watch. "I'm all right Callie. Why don't you just go down and spend some time with your mom?" She leaned back against the bed. The same relief about Callie's mother had flooded Erica that had also flooded Callie, but instead of feeling energized, Erica felt like she's been mowed down by a truck. She felt so physically miserable that she couldn't even think about Cristina Yang right now. The worry about Callie's mother had kept her pain at bay, but now that she knew that Cristina had been able to save her, she couldn't fight off the pain anymore. The headache Derek told her to expect had rumbled in to her head like an out of control freight train. If she closed her eyes, she could see tiny sparks of red and blue light dancing behind her eyelids, but if she kept them open, the lights in the room danced and swayed. She'd never wanted pain medications so much in her life. She was dizzy and her face ached, but knew she needed something in her system before they came and gave her anything other than saline to hydrate her. She didn't have the heart to ask Callie to go get her something to eat. She really wanted Callie to see her mom, so she could see for herself that she'd pulled through the surgery. Erica wondered if she paged Sloan, if he'd buy her a bagel. He was Callie's friend, maybe he'd extend her the courtesy. Then she remembered that she'd essentially stolen Callie, literally right out from underneath him and she'd treated him like dirt in the lounge this morning. Suddenly asking him to get her a bagel didn't sound like such a great idea. She didn't have to worry though.

"I'll go get us both something light to eat, and then once they drug you up, I'll slip down and see her, okay?" Callie whispered, brushing a tendril of Erica's hair away from her face. "I really can't wait to see her but I can't go until they have her in the ICU. And I need to be here with you, too. I'm so sorry he hurt you, Erica. I'm so sorry." Callie brushed her lips lightly over the bruise on Erica's face, as if kissing it would make it better. It didn't heal it, but it caused Erica's heart to skip a beat anyway.

"There's nothing to apologize for, Callie. You did nothing wrong today. Don't forget that. I'm so proud of you for standing up to your parents for the both of us. You are so brave! But... I'm really hungry." Erica grinned sheepishly before leaning her head onto Callie's shoulder.

"Okay, I'll be right back." Callie placed a kiss on the top of Erica's head and walked towards the door. She turned once and looked at Erica, who was lying back on the bed, her eyes closed, her fist gripping the sheet with white-knuckled pain. "Erica?" She whispered.

Erica turned her head towards Callie's voice but didn't open her eyes. Her vision was swimming in front of her and she was afraid she'd start dry heaving if she opened her eyes so soon after moving her head. "Sweetie?" Erica asked back.

"I just wanted to say... I love you." Callie whispered from the doorway.

"I love you too, Callie." Erica whispered back and Callie disappeared out the door, on her way to the cafeteria.

The cafeteria was just closing as she arrived. She explained to the cashier that she just needed something quick and the cashier, knowing Callie, gladly kept her register open for her. Callie picked up two yogurts, two large iced teas and a chocolate pudding each. She knew Erica's jaw must hurt her as much as the headache did... and she knew that soft foods would be easier on both her jaw and her stomach. Paying the cashier, Callie raced back up to Erica's room. She quietly wheeled the bed tray over to the bed and placed the snacks down on it. She then walked over to Erica and placed her hand on her healthy cheek, waking her. She was happy to see that Erica woke right up and her speech and motor functions were intact. That meant her concussion wasn't a serious one. "I brought you something to eat." Callie whispered, hitting the button on the bed to raise it up. Once Erica was in a sitting position, Callie hopped on the bed across from her, the two of them sitting over the bed tray facing one another. Erica's hands were shaking so much that she couldn't open the lid on her yogurt. Callie gently took the yogurt from her and opened it, handing it back to Erica. Callie was reminded of her telephone call this morning. Had it really just been several hours since Erica dialed the phone for her? How could so much go wrong in such a short period of time? Callie didn't have time to ponder because Erica grinned at her gratefully and just that look from her washed away some of her anxiety. Erica spooned some of the yogurt into her mouth. She was famished and really couldn't wait to finish it. Callie had even treated her to pudding. Hospital food had never looked so good.

Finishing up, Callie cleared off the tray and lowered the bed back down into a more prone position. "I'm going to get a cold compress for your face, because it's swelling a bit. I'm concerned about the hairline fracture in your maxilla." Callie gently felt Erica's face with her thumbs, the orthopedist in her showing through. "If the swelling isn't down in the morning, I'm going to refer you out to an oral surgeon, just to make sure that we didn't miss anything. I can't have you losing your teeth on me." Callie grinned at Erica. "I'll also notify the nurse that you've eaten and that you can have your pain meds now. I know you must need them." Callie squeezed Erica's hand and Erica squeezed back as a response. When Callie returned, she had already broken the spine on the ice pack and wrapped it in a surgical towel. She pressed it gently to Erica's face. Erica flinched away at first but then the coolness of the ice pack started to soothe some of the throbbing she was feeling in her cheek and jaw. Callie then moved to Erica's left hand- her non-dominant hand- and expertly placed the IV in her vein.

"Thanks Cal." Erica mumbled, fighting to remain awake and keep Callie company. Callie however, knew better.

"Just get some sleep, Erica. I promise I'll be back here later to take you home. Just let the fluids do their job. Do you want some acetaminophen?"

"Mmm, yes, please. But no codeine. It'll make me too nauseous."

"I can give you an anti-emetic, if you want. You need some rest- the codeine will help. It's up to you." Callie secretly liked being a doctor to Erica. Erica had taken such care of her this morning, despite her pain. It was time for Callie to return the favor. Taking care of Erica also helped Callie keep her mind off of her mother down in recovery and her father, now sitting in a "holding cell" somewhere.

Erica was hesitant. If she took the codeine, she'd be out like a light and she couldn't watch over Callie to make sure that she wasn't still reeling from this morning. But her head was spinning and she didn't deal well with pain when it came to her own body. She was starting to feel cranky and that was not a good place for her to be right now. Finally, she decided that cranky or not, looking out for Callie trumped everything. "Um, no, Callie, I don't think so. I want to be able to keep you company when you visit your mom."

"Erica, as much as I would love for you to come down and check on her, you're not in any shape to do that. I'd prefer it if you just stayed here and slept. My mother is sedated, I can guarantee you that she will not say anything else to hurt me tonight."

"I know, but..." Erica's voice drifted off. She honestly wanted to take the codeine. As strange as it was, she had been secretly hoping that Derek would have admitted her to the hospital so that she could stay the night. She knew Callie wouldn't be coming home- she'd stay behind to monitor her mother and make sure that everything remained status quo. That would mean sleeping alone, and Erica just couldn't do that tonight. She needed Callie as much as Callie needed her. She didn't want to be separated from her because she had an irrational fear that Callie was suddenly going to disappear from her life after everything that had gone on today, despite how much Callie had proved to the contrary so far. Sleeping without Callie next to her would be too real a sign of what Erica's future held if Callie walked away from their relationship. Erica simply didn't have the strength in her to face that, not that night and not ever.

"Just take it, Erica. You can take it and I'll have you admitted for the night for observation. This way we can both stay here. I can monitor your concussion and pop in to check on my mom whenever I want." Callie thought Erica was going to angrily protest so she continued on before Erica could get started: "I know the thought of spending the night here in anything other than a professional capacity will drive you nuts, but I need you here tonight and that's the only way I can balance both you and my mom. So please don't argue with me."

Relieved, Erica gave in. "Okay." She smiled inwardly. Callie had read her mind again, only this time even Callie hadn't realized it.

"Okay?" Callie asked, genuinely surprised.

"All right, give me the codeine. But don't have Nurse Lucy wake me every hour for concussion monitoring... have someone other than her do it if you're not here to wake me. Waking to the sight of her while I'm on all of these drugs is going to give me nightmares and something else to hash over with Dr. Wyatt."

Callie laughed at the thought. Nurse Lucy usually worked the night shifts and she'd scared a number of patients while doing night rounds. There was just something creepy about her, despite the fact that she truly was a dedicated, hard working nurse who would never hurt anyone. "Okay." Callie said as she turned back towards the nurses station to write the orders in Erica's chart. A few minutes later no one other than Nurse Lucy walked in, a syringe in her hand. Erica rolled her eyes once the nurse's back was turned.

"Just some acetaminophen with codeine, doctor." She said as she pressed the tip of the needle into the port on the IV and depressed the plunger. Erica stared pointedly at Callie, and the two of them had to fight off a fit of giggles while Nurse Lucy was in the room. Soon, Erica's eyelids were fluttering closed and they were no longer able to share the joke between them. Sleep came quickly to Erica and Callie found herself suddenly wishing that she could curl up in Erica's arms and sleep with her. She was exhausted. The emotion of the day and the physical pain in her own face had left her drained, but there was still much to be done. Callie leaned in, pulling the blanket up over Erica and then kissed her over each eye and then once, very chastely, on her lips. In her sleep, Erica sighed. Callie wondered if Erica was dreaming already, and if she was, if she was dreaming of her.

"I love you. Rest up, because I need you." Callie whispered as she walked slowly from the room, headed towards the ICU. As she approached the wing where her mother was, her pace quickened. She needed to see for herself that her mother was still alive. She needed to talk to her, even if her mother couldn't hear her. She had a lot that she needed to say.


	36. Through the Night

**A/N:** OK, I think I said yesterday that Erica was going to get her kick-ass on in this chapter, but it's actually the next chapter. Sorry about that. But it IS coming, and I'm kinda proud of it and I can't wait to share it with you... so maybe, if you're really nice to me, I'll post twice tonight. ;-)

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No one ever looks right after surgery. Families of patients have often been confused by the sight of their loved ones when they visit soon after a major surgery. Some have gone so far as to insist that the person lying in the bed before them is not their loved one. It happens more often that most people realize. Circumstances are not helped when the patient is intubated and has a catheter or a port installed. The human body is not supposed to have wire leads attached and they can be quite frightening to the uninitiated. The tubes and wires generally add to the confusion felt by the patient's family. Callie had often wondered if it was genuine confusion, or if some of the visitors were so shocked and appalled by the state their loved one was in, that their brains just automatically rejected the sight of them. She could understand how scared the family must feel. Surgery, while it is meant to help the body, is a heavy violation. Under the anesthetic, the body becomes weak. Muscles that are normally strong and pliant become lax and droopy. The skin loses its color because the energy the body normally uses to flush cheeks and put the sparkle in someone's eyes is being diverted to healing incisions and guarding against infection. A person recovering from surgery initially loses some of the vigor that the surgery intends to eventually bring back to the body. Although Callie was well aware of these facts, seeing her mother on life support in the intensive care unit still came as a complete shock to her. Despite her efforts to mentally prepare for what she'd see, she found herself quietly crying over her mother.

"Mommy..." she whispered, taking her mother's hand into her own. Her mother did not stir. She did not expect her to stir. She'd been heavily sedated and it would be at least another day before she awoke. Callie sat beside the bed and rested her head on her mother's shoulder. "Am I ever going to get to hug you again, Mommy?" Callie whispered. "When you wake up, are you going to hate me the way you hated me this morning? Because I still love you. And I hope you will learn to love me again too." No answers were forthcoming. Callie knew better than to expect them."You'd love Erica too if you just took the time to get to know her. She's wonderful." Callie snuggled close, smelling her mother's shampoo. She'd been using the same shampoo since Callie was a little girl. Callie thought back to the times when she was little and scared, and she'd climb into bed with her parents to sleep there with them. Curled in her mother's arms, she would smell her shampoo much like she was now. Back then she'd felt safe and secure, and her nightmares would stop just knowing that her parents were there to ward them off. Sighing, Callie wondered if her parents would have held her and protected her like that if they'd known what would take place today. How was it possible for them to just shut off their love for her? How could her father just discard her like yesterday's trash? Why didn't her mother defend her? She was so close to her mother and had spoken to her about Erica for months. Couldn't she see how happy Erica had made her? Why couldn't she be happy for her? Was it really that hard to accept? Wiping away her tears, Callie sat back up and listened to the heart monitor over the bed. The beep was regular, and the rhythm was strong. Reassured by the readouts she was seeing, Callie let her eyes close, just for a moment. Or so she thought.

"Dr. Torres." A strong hand had fallen on her shoulder but she was slow to wake. "Callie." The voice was deep and filled with gentle authority. Opening her eyes, Callie was surprised to see that the Chief was standing over her. Her jaw dropped open. Had she fallen asleep next to a patient's bed? Looking down at the patient in the bed, the entire morning played out in her mind. She remembered where she was, where her mother was, and who had put her there. She remembered Erica lying in a hospital bed upstairs, in her own pain. Before the severity of it all could truly sink in, the Chief continued. "Dr. Torres, why don't you go home and get some rest?" The Chief held his hand out to her, encouraging her to get up.

"How long?" Callie stammered. "How long was I sleeping?" She whispered to the Chief as she took his hand and he helped her to stand up.

"The charge nurse said about four hours. Dr. Yang threatened the nurses and told them that if any one of them tried to wake you or move you, they'd be in a bed in the same state as the patients they treat in this ward. So of course at the shift change, the nurse came and got me."

"Oh God..." Callie moaned, rubbing her hand over her face. "Sir, I'm sorry. I just wanted to visit her. I know it's inappropriate to sleep around patients."

"This isn't a patient, Callie. It's your mother. And like your mother, you need to get some rest. Your mother is stable, Callie. Dr. Yang has not stopped monitoring her since the surgery. Wild horses could not tear her away from your mother's side right now. So go home and get some rest. Come back in the morning and visit her when you're able to keep your eyes open. She's going to need you when she wakes up."

"I don't think she's going to want me near her, when she wakes up, Chief." Callie said sadly.

"Nonsense. You'll work it out with your parents. Now, go home." He said gently. "Do you want me to call you a cab?"

"Actually, Chief, I'm going to sleep in the chair next to Erica's bed. I uh, I admitted her for observation overnight so that she could stay here and I could monitor both Erica and my mother. We've got her on an IV of acetaminophen and codeine because of the concussion. I was supposed to look in on her every hour. Looks like I'm doing a great job..." Callie gave a painful laugh.

"Erica is fine. Sleeping soundly. She's been her normal, to-the-point self every time _I've_ awakened her to monitor her concussion. She's been asking for you though. She's not your patient Callie, she's your girlfriend. Let the nurses and doctors here care for her. I've instructed them to take her off hourly monitoring and wake her every two hours instead. I'm sure the nurses up there will be quite relieved to know that, considering the mood she's in."

Callie was worried. She knew Erica didn't like to be woken up, and the fact that they were waking her every hour must have been torture for her. But she'd been asking for Callie and Callie had been sleeping down there, oblivious to it all. "I'm going to stay up there tonight, okay? I promise, no funny business."

"I know, Dr. Torres. I would never expect that from you." The Chief smiled when he said this. He knew that Callie had some "funny business" of her own in some of the on-call rooms of this hospital, but he knew after the scare with Cristina Yang last week, he'd never have to worry about that from her again. The Chief pulled her to her feet and steered her towards the door leading away from the ICU. Callie caught a glimpse of Cristina Yang watching her. She nodded slightly. Cristina nodded back. Things were going to work out with Cristina and herself, Callie knew it. She just couldn't fight with Cristina anymore after what she'd done for her mother. Getting things to work out with Cristina and Erica was going to be another story entirely though.

"Things have a way of working themselves out, Dr. Torres." The Chief said, noticing the nod between the two female doctors.

"I've heard that somewhere before, Chief." Callie said with a grin.

"Good night, Dr. Torres. See you in the morning. I've taken you off the schedule for the rest of the week so that you can care for your loved ones, so I'll see you during visiting hours."

"Good night, Chief. And, thanks for everything."

Returning to Erica's room, Callie first went to the bed and found Erica sleeping soundly. She stopped and watched the even rise and fall of Erica's chest. She felt awful for disappearing for so long. She desperately hoped Erica would not be mad at her. She took Erica's hand in her own and held it for a few minutes. In her sleep, Erica smiled. Confident that everything was all right with her, Callie went into the bathroom and washed her face. Her mascara had streaked all over and she was embarrassed to think she'd looked like a skunk all day long. After freshening up, she returned to the room and surveyed her sleeping options. The chair next to the bed reclined slightly, and she figured that it would be inappropriate to sleep on the same bed as Erica while Erica was being monitored for her concussion. She leaned over and placed a kiss on Erica's cheek before she slipped her lab coat off and curled into the chair next to Erica's bed. She used her lab coat as a blanket and tried to get comfortable. She leaned the chair back as far as it would go and curled her legs up underneath herself. Shifting in the chair to make herself comfortable, the mock leather of the chair made unladylike noises as she moved.

"Did you eat a can of beans? Is that why you were gone for so long?" Came the muffled question from the bed.

Laughing a little, Callie whispered back "It's the chair, I swear it."

"Sure. I've heard that before. So are you gonna stay there and have a rootin' tootin' time or are you going to come to bed?" Erica asked, unable to keep the giggle out of her voice.

"I didn't want to wake you." Callie said.

"Too late." Erica whispered back at her. "If you promise not to fart, you can sleep on the bed with me. I missed you."

"I wasn't farting! But... It's a deal." Callie said as she crawled under the covers with Erica. Suddenly it didn't matter if someone walked in to monitor Erica. The entire hospital knew about them now anyway, thanks to Cristina. Callie just needed to be near Erica and be held. She laced her fingers through Erica's and squeezed her hand. Automatically, Erica wrapped her arms around Callie and breathed in Callie's scent. Just having Callie there was better than any painkiller she could have ever been given. The pain in her head and jaw were suddenly forgotten, as were the insecurities she'd felt leading up to their meeting with Callie's parents. She'd been so scared when the hours passed and Callie hadn't come back. She'd wake up, expecting to see Callie standing over her, taking her pulse and watching her pupils dilate as she went through the coma scale tests. Instead, she'd been faced first with Richard and then with different nurses, none of whom knew or cared where Callie was. She'd fallen asleep crying the last two times the nurse had left. She wanted Callie there with her, even if it was selfish to think that way when Callie needed to be with her mother. She didn't want to lose her. She couldn't bear to lose her. There'd be no repairing her heart if Callie walked out of her life. Her fears were unfounded though. Callie was curled up in her arms, raining tiny kisses down on her and telling her how much she loved her. Callie was apologizing for falling asleep next to her mother and not coming back when she'd planned. Callie was there. Holding her like this gave Erica the confidence she needed to know that she and Callie were going to weather this storm in their relationship. She didn't have to worry about losing Callie, because they were meant to be together. Callie had defended their relationship this morning and she'd showed that she could care for both Erica and her family. Erica couldn't believe how lucky she was to have her in her life. She hoped that she could make Callie's parent's see that too.

Derek woke the two of them the following morning. He had a sweet smile on his face. There were times he'd woken with Meredith tangled in his arms the same way these two were currently tangled. It warmed his heart to see them so happy together. "Ladies," he whispered. Callie's eyes opened first and she grinned at him, a bit shy that she'd been caught curled in Erica's arms by one of the hospital's hottest doctors. Before she even said anything, she rolled over and gently woke Erica. Better she did it than Derek- the last few times she'd been woken up during the night had been by a male nurse and Erica had threatened to emasculate him if he woke her again.

"Erica." Callie whispered, leaning her forehead against Erica's. "Come on sweetie, it's time to get up."

Erica groaned but opened her eyes. She found herself staring directly into the depths of Callie's brown eyes. She smiled instantly. "Hey." She whispered, and then suddenly realized they were not alone in the room.

"Good morning." Derek Shepherd was smiling down at them. "How are you feeling?"

It took Erica a second to assess herself. A muffled throb still coursed through her head and her cheek hurt to the touch, but otherwise, she felt far better than last night. "I think the freight train in my head has finally departed the station." She said with a grin.

"That's good!" Derek said as he flashed his penlight back and forth over Erica's eyes, monitoring the length of time it took for her pupils to dilate. "The nurses said you were your feisty self all night, and that you're in pretty good shape."

"I am not feisty!" Erica growled.

"Really?" Derek laughed.

Looking at Callie, Erica poked her because she knew Callie was doing everything she could to keep from laughing. Erica Hahn was nothing if she wasn't feisty, and everyone knew it. "Okay, maybe a little feisty." She admitted.

"You can go home, if you want, Erica." Derek said, his professionalism returning as he signed the discharge papers in front of him. "You're still concussed though, so no work for you for the next week. Avoid driving. No alcohol. No heavy machinery, if you have any. Try to sit back and relax. Don't let yourself get so dehydrated again. Take acetaminophen for the headaches, no NSAIDs like aspirin. And call me if the dizziness returns, you feel confused or out-of-sorts, or if you start to vomit. Dr. Torres will examine your facial fracture and if necessary you should see an oral surgeon. Oh, and by the way, Richard said to tell you he'll take care of Walter Tapley this morning." He finished with a wink.

"Oh crap, Walter Tapley's appointment was today." Erica said with just a slight note of disappointment in her voice. "I was looking forward to telling him I was staying here."

"Staying here?" Derek asked.

"Tapley was coming in for a follow up visit and then was going to offer Erica a job working with him." Callie replied, taking Erica's hand into her own.

"I realized though that he couldn't offer me anything close to what I have here. So I'm staying." Erica said, looking over at Callie with a smile.

"Good for you. But congratulations none the less. I hear that Walter Tapley's a bigwig in the cardio world. I'm honored to be able to work with someone so sought after." Derek said with genuine admiration.

"Thanks Derek." Erica said.

Derek walked out and Callie, who had gotten out of bed while Derek examined Erica, returned to the side of the bed and gently placed her hand on Erica's bruised cheek. "The swelling has gone down considerably, though the contusion is still very fresh." Callie said quietly. "I don't think you'll need to see the oral surgeon. Are you tender?"

Erica leaned her face into Callie's palm and kissed it gently. "A little." Callie knew she didn't just mean her face hurt.

"I'm sorry about yesterday, Erica." Callie murmured.

"I told you that there is nothing to apologize about. Don't worry so much, okay?"

"No, I mean, I'm sorry that I disappeared for so long. You needed me here too and I fell asleep..."

"I was scared that you weren't coming back..." Erica whispered, her chin trembling. "But I'm not angry. Just, please, just don't disappear like that again, okay? I know you needed to be with your mom and I'm glad that you were there with her. I just... When you didn't come back for so long... I was so scared that you had walked out of this room and out of my life. I couldn't handle that."

"I'm not going anywhere, Erica. I promise to make you see that, too. I love you. Don't you ever forget that." Callie said as she sat on the edge of the bed. Erica had begun to sob, so Callie pulled her into her arms and held her tightly. "I love you Erica. I'm not going anywhere. I promise. You've got to believe me. We're the two Juliets who don't need a Romeo, remember?"

Smiling through her tears, Erica nodded. "I'm sorry I'm so irrational about this. I know I should trust you when you tell me you're not going anywhere. I didn't mean to make it sound like you wouldn't keep your promise. It's just that, after yesterday, I was so afraid of what would happen. I wouldn't have blamed you if you'd suddenly decided that you wanted your family instead of me."

"I want you both. And right now, I have you. And you're going to help me get my parents back into my life, aren't you?"

"Of course."

"Then let's go home and get showered and dressed. You can stay in bed and relax and I'm going to come back here and wait for my mother to wake up." Callie said.

"No, I'll come back here and wait with you. You're not doing this alone, Callie."

"You're supposed to be on bed rest for a week. Bed rest does not include sitting in the ICU waiting room. But we'll discuss it when we get home. Come on." Callie said, avoiding an argument and leading Erica out of the room, eager to get home.


	37. The Protector

**A/N:** Here we go... some drama, a little fluff, a bit o' smut... and Erica Hahn kicking some ass, all in one nice, long chapter. I hope you love it as much as I loved writing it. Let me know!

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The two picked up their things from their lockers and Callie drove Erica's car home. Closing the front door behind them, Erica pulled Callie into her arms. "Hey." She whispered. "Do you remember the morning after our first kiss?"

Leaning in close to Erica, Callie whispered back, "You mean the morning we said we'd take it slow and you wouldn't let me shower with you?"

"Yes. I don't know what I was thinking. I want to make up for that complete lapse in judgment right now, okay?" Erica said as she leaned forward and gave Callie one of the most seductive kisses in their relationship so far.

When she pulled away for air, Callie giggled. "After all that we went through yesterday, you're horny? Are you sure you're up for it? Isn't your head killing you? I mean, this is the one time in our relationship when you can actually say you have a headache to avoid sex."

"I'm always up for you, Callie. You turn me on from a mile away. And I will never, ever tell you that my head hurts to avoid sex with you because I will never, ever want to avoid sex with you." Erica said as she took Callie's hand and pulled her to the bathroom off the master bedroom. She peeled Callie's clothes off of her, slowly, carefully, methodically. She cupped Callie's face in her hands and kissed her gently, sweetly. Before she had even undressed herself, Erica had slipped a finger into Callie's cleft, feeling the wet heat that had gathered there. She pushed two fingers inside of her and slowly pumped them in and out of her. With her other hand she pulled Callie closer to her and kissed her, her tongue mimicking the movement of her fingers. Callie's hands were all over her, moving from her shoulders down to her breasts. She started to rub her hands up against the rigid nipples that could be felt even through Erica's clothes before moving downward and slipping her hand down the front of Erica's pants. Pushing aside Erica's underwear, Callie's fingers found Erica's clit and began to massage it, her rhythm soon matching Erica's. Together they increased their pace and it wasn't long before their orgasms washed over them simultaneously.

Realizing that Erica was still fully clothed, Callie unbuttoned her blouse and slid it down off of her shoulders. She kissed Erica's neck as she reached behind her and undid the clasp on her bra. She slid the straps down off of her shoulders before she bent forward and used her teeth to pull the bra off completely. She then pulled Erica's nipple into her mouth and sucked on it gently before she circled her tongue around it. Moving to the other nipple, Callie flicked her tongue over it, her actions foretelling of what she wanted to do further down on Erica's body. Unbuttoning Erica's pants, she pushed them down together with her underwear in one swift movement. Pushing Erica back up against the bathroom door, Callie began to kneel down in front of Erica, dragging her tongue down the front of Erica's body as she descended. As Callie's lips closed around Erica's swollen bundle of nerves, Erica stopped her by giving her a gentle tug on her hair. "Callie, I need you up here, with me." She said, her voice low and smooth. Sliding back up Erica's body, Callie kissed her hard as she slipped two fingers inside of her and began to pumping in and out. Before long they had worked up to a frenzy and the bathroom door was rattling in it's frame. When Erica came, a wave of dizziness hit her and she started to collapse, but Callie was there to catch her.

"Easy, I've got you." She whispered as she lowered Erica to the floor. "Are you all right? As much as I love this, I can't see how this can be good for your recuperation."

"I'm fine. You're just that good." Erica said as she buried her head into Callie's shoulder.

"Come on, let's get cleaned up. I think we've both had enough for one day." Callie said, leading Erica back towards the shower.

"I don't." Erica growled as she followed Callie.

Turning on the water in the oversized shower, they stepped in together, the warm water doing nothing to quell the lust that had just begun to be satiated. And if Callie's moans coming from the bathroom were any indication, Erica Hahn was going to be just fine, concussion or not.

After their escapade in the shower, they moved to the bedroom to get dressed. Carefully, Erica broached the subject of Callie's father. "I think you should go get him. He's being arraigned this morning. Maybe you should be there. Show him that you're the bigger person."

"Erica, my father is a rich and powerful man. I am sure that he made one phone call and had a team of six lawyers lined up to represent him at his hearing this morning. He needs to face what he did yesterday. I'm not talking about cutting me out of his life. I know I'm going to have to deal with that eventually. But he kicked you. He acted like a four year old in a sandbox. He had no right to lay a hand on you and you spent the night in the hospital as a result. So he can do what he does best- order people around- and they'll work on getting him out of jail. I cannot concern myself with him right now."

"Callie-" Erica started.

"No, Erica. I'm hurt and angry at him for what he did to you. And that hurt and anger is keeping me from falling apart right now, so I need to hold on to it. I'm going to get dressed and go back to the hospital, where hopefully I will be allowed to see my mother one last time before my father comes and kicks me out of her life again, okay?"

"No Callie, it's not okay. It's not okay to hold on to that hurt and anger, even if it does mean you're going to fall apart. Hurt and anger are not healthy. Don't distance yourself from your family. Take it from me- it doesn't work. It doesn't make the hurt go away! It just gets worse and it affects every part of your life. Put yourself right back into the center of their lives. Make them realize that you're still the wonderful daughter that they cherished so much up until yesterday. Go to your father's hearing. Take him to the hospital to be with your mother. I'll go with you if you want."

"I SAID NO! And that's it! I am not arguing with you over this. It's no longer open for discussion."

"I'm surprised Callie. Yesterday you were terrified of losing your family and you would have done anything to keep your parents in your life. I didn't think you were the kind of person to just cast aside a member of your family, even if they hurt you." Erica said sadly.

"Yeah, well maybe I'm not the same person I was yesterday."

"You're not even the same person I just finished making love to thirty seconds ago. I don't understand how you can just walk away from your father. It's exactly what he did to you yesterday!" Erica said as she stalked out of the bedroom and back into the bathroom. She contemplated taking a Xanax but thought better of it. Instead she took two acetaminophen and downed a large glass of water. Swallowing the pills, she stood at the sink and looked at her reflection in the bathroom mirror. She looked like a beating victim. Well, she was a beating victim. But Callie's sudden outburst about holding on to her anger had left her feeling more hurt than her facial fracture did. She didn't want Callie to end up as cold and emotionless as she'd become after she walked away from her own parents, but Erica didn't know how to tell Callie that.

Erica went back to the bedroom and try to talk to Callie, but found the room empty. She heard the front door slam and by the time she made it over to the bedroom window to look out, she heard Callie's car door slam. She watched as Callie peeled out of the driveway, her anger evident in the way she was driving.

Erica sat down on the bed before she leaned back into the pillows. Her head was pounding. She should just get some sleep and let Callie have some space to breathe, she thought. But she couldn't sleep knowing that Callie was angry with her, and she didn't want to be angry at Callie either.

Picking up the phone, Erica tried Callie's cell phone, but it went straight to voice mail. She didn't want to fight with Callie. But Callie needed to realize that if she wanted to pull her family back together, then she couldn't ignore her family members when they needed her- no matter how poorly they had treated her originally. When the tone sounded, Erica left Callie a teary message.

"Callie, look, I'm sorry... I didn't mean to pick a fight. Please don't stay angry at me. Let's talk about this... I'll come to the hospital later and we can sit together with your mom. I don't want you to be alone. I don't want to be alone either. I'll see you later and we can talk, okay? Call me if you get the chance. I love you. Bye."

Left alone in the house, Erica had no clue what to do with herself. She was exhausted but too agitated to lie down. She was supposed to be examining Walter Tapley, secretly marveling over her surgical feat while deftly quelling his desire for her to join his surgical team. Instead, she found herself pacing the length of her bedroom. No, their bedroom. It was Callie's bedroom now too, and Callie really should have been there with her. Wearing a path into the carpet, an idea came to Erica and she acted on it without giving it a second thought.

Pulling her keys off the key rack, she was suddenly glad that she didn't take the Xanax. Derek had told her not to drive but she felt well enough right now to be behind the wheel of the car against doctor's orders. Tossing on a pair of sunglasses to protect her sensitive eyes from the harsh morning glare, she entered the freeway and headed up to the North Precinct, listening to the monotone instructions on the car's GPS. When she arrived at the precinct, she was greeted by the same officer that had taken her statement the day before.

"Changed your mind about pressing charges, doctor?" The officer asked pleasantly.

"Uh, no. Actually, I'd like to post bond for Mr. Torres if he's through with the judge." Erica answered hesitantly, knowing that she must sound crazy.

"You want to post bond for the man who did that to your face." The officer said, making her question sound more like a statement as she pointed her finger at Erica's bruised cheek, her facial expression showing just how bizarre Erica's request truly was. Erica's bruise had turned a nice purple color and that side of her face was swollen to about twice its normal size. Erica really couldn't even speak properly because of it. The amount of kissing she'd done earlier probably hadn't helped to keep the swelling down.

"Yes. It's more complicated than just some guy kicking some woman. He's my girlfriend's father and she needs him right now. His wife almost died last night and I can't bear seeing his daughter so distraught over all of this. But rest assured, if he lays another and on me or his daughter, I'll see to it that he gets put away for a long, long time."

"Suit yourself." The officer said, not really caring one way or the other. Her fingers flew over the keyboard as she looked up the information on Callie's father. "Torres, Jesus... the judge set bond at one dollar with the caveat that someone come and get him. Apparently the judge wants him to make up with his family as much as you do. He wasn't permitted to post bond himself."

"What about his attorney?" Erica asked.

"The computer says he chose not to have an attorney present at the arraignment." The officer replied.

Erica fished a dollar out of her purse and put it on the counter, and the officer pointed her towards a waiting room. "Just go wait in there, someone will bring him down in a few minutes. You're really sure about this?" She asked again.

"I'm sure." Erica said, but her head was swimming with questions. Why hadn't he called one of his lawyers like Callie had said he would? Was this really a smart thing to do? Would it make Callie angrier? Would sending Callie's father back to the hospital start another argument? What the hell was she doing? Why wasn't she just home in her warm bed, nursing the nagging headache she had? There really wasn't time to think of any answers because another uniformed officer was escorting a handcuffed Jesus Torres out of a locked door.

"Someone here for this guy?" The officer asked.

Erica stood. "I am." She said. She eyed Callie's father the same way she would eye an intern that had pissed her off. She made no effort to hide her disdain for the man.

"You?" Mr. Torres asked as the officer took the cuffs from his hands. "Is this some kind of sick joke?"

"Mr. Torres if you'll come with me, we have a great many things to discuss on the way back to the hospital." Erica said evenly, her tone of voice making her message clear. She wasn't going to take any nonsense from this man. And he seemed to understand it.

Erica walked him to her car. She watched as Callie's father silently appraised her Mercedes convertible. It was brand new- she'd bought it completely on a whim one weekend when she was doing everything she could to not think about Callie. It was one of those moments when she'd been out of control, completely impulsive as she tried to control her impulse for Callie. As a general rule, Erica Hahn was not impulsive... but the fact that she'd kissed Callie in the elevator a few days before had set her mind spinning. Her attraction to Callie and her efforts to hide it had caused her private life to go wildly out of sorts. Every time she tried to control what she felt for Callie, she'd lose control in another part of her life. She knew she'd been just as out of control when she bought the car as she had been in the elevator that night. As it was, the car turned out to be something to share with Callie and it wound up involving Callie a bit more in her life. The two of them loved cruising along the shoreline with the top down, watching the stars come out as night fell and going dancing at a club on the beach. At that point, all Erica wanted to do was spend every waking moment with Callie, so she didn't care about her sixty-thousand-dollar impulse buy. She still didn't. The car was amazing and she knew it impressed Callie's father too.

"Get in." Erica said gruffly. Surprisingly, Callie's father did what he was told. Shutting her door and putting the key in the ignition, Erica looked over at Jesus Torres. He was still the snide man he was the morning before. "Buckle up." She grunted. He didn't move. He wasn't going to take orders from the sinful whore who was debauching his only daughter.

In the manner that made her famous at Seattle Grace, Erica entered her snippy surgeon mode. "Mr. Torres, let me make something quite clear. I don't really care if we get into an accident on the way to the hospital and you die a horrific death due to your refusal to buckle your seatbelt. I do however care about the interior of my brand new car and don't want your arrogant entrails to stain to my custom leather seats or the head that houses your oversized ego protruding from my windshield. So buckle up." The look she gave him told him she meant business. He bucked his seatbelt, avoiding her eyes. Erica put the car in gear and took them back to the freeway before she spoke. "In case you're interested, your wife made it thought the night. No thanks to you, though."

"How dare you-" Mr. Torres started.

Erica took her hand off of the gear shift long enough to hold it up and silence him. "You do not get to speak right now. You will listen to me and you will listen to me very carefully. You crushed your daughter yesterday morning. She is hurt, angry and broken. And it's not because of her relationship with me. It's because of you and your tirade yesterday. You acted like a spoiled child. As a result, you've damaged your relationship with your only daughter and you caused your wife to have a very severe heart attack. She was lucky she was already in a hospital when it happened because I'm certain that she would not have made it long enough for an ambulance to get her to a hospital. She is lucky to be alive right now."

"I told you not to touch her!" He screamed.

"I didn't, which is too bad considering that I happen to be the best in cardio-thoracic surgery. People fly in from around the world to have me operate on them. Lucky for both you and your wife, one of my students was there to do her surgery." Erica felt guilty calling Cristina one of her students, considering that she'd avoided teaching her for so long, but she had a point to make. "I have no interest in caring for your wife, Mr. Torres. You and your wife made it clear to me what you thought of me and my relationship with your daughter yesterday. But let me make this clear to you: I love your daughter. I will do anything and everything I possibly can to protect her and shower her with love. I will not allow you to continue to treat her in the manner you did yesterday. So when you are in that hospital- my hospital and Callie's hospital- you will make sure that you are on your best behavior. It's up to you and your wife to make amends with Callie. She has done nothing wrong other than to hurt your precious pride. And if you had half a brain, you'd realize that you have the opportunity to make amends with her today before things get any worse. Before you lose your only daughter. Do you understand?"

Erica's demeanor was dangerous. Although she had no intention of bringing any kind of harm to Callie's father, her face and her body language said otherwise. He did not reply. Taking her eyes off the road for a split second, she glared at Mr. Torres. "I asked you a question! Do you understand what I've just said to you? I cannot make you apologize for what you did to your daughter yesterday. Or what you did to me, for that matter. But you will NOT act like the petulant child you were yesterday while you are around your wife and daughter. DO YOU UNDERSTAND?"

"Yes." Came the reply.

"Fine." Erica said as they pulled up in the hospital parking lot. She parked her car in her reserved spot and turned off the ignition. "Visiting hours for the ICU don't start for another two hours. I suggest you find something constructive to do with your time, such as think of ways to apologize to your daughter."

"Fuck you. I'll go up there now if I want to. You have no idea who I am, do you? I could buy you. I could buy your sinful soul from the devil if I wanted to."

"Oh no, Mr. Torres. You don't get to go there. You may have bought a lifetime membership to the Asshole Club, but that membership doesn't gain you entrance to my ICU. You will sit and wait just like everyone else here. After yesterday, you've proven that you are no better than anyone else. One more outburst like that, and I'll have security escort you right off the premises before you can get near the ICU. Go to the cafeteria and get something to eat. Cool your temper, because as the head of cardio-thoracic surgery here in this hospital, I will not permit you anywhere near your wife if you keep that up. And let me make one more thing clear to you: I could buy and sell you without so much as putting a dent into my bank account. Rest assured that with me, Callie will be very well taken care of. Perhaps more so than with her bigoted father. Now get out of my car before you jinx it with your negativity." Slamming his car door, Jesus Torres stalked off towards the entrance to the hospital. Erica waited a moment to compose herself before she got out of the car and walked up towards the ICU.

Walking down the antiseptically white hallway, Erica realized why Jesus Torres hadn't called a lawyer to bail him out. He'd rather wait in jail than let any of his precious circle of snobs know that he was in trouble. It was a pride thing for him, and by coming to get him, Erica had inadvertently saved his face. She suddenly felt sick for getting into a pissing match with him. She felt like she's stooped down to his level, and she hated herself for it because that was what she had fought with Callie about earlier. Maybe she should wait for Callie's mother to wake up and pick a fight with her too, so that way the entire Torres family could be pissed at her. She laughed bitterly to herself before she forced herself to clear her head. Now was not the time. She had to find Callie and make amends with her, before her father got to her first.


	38. Walking Away

**A/N:** Erica's not done with her ass kicking. But first she and Callie are going to make up, 'cause it breaks my heart when they're not happy. Then Callie's going to do some ass kicking, because she needs to get her happy back too. Thanks for all of the reviews and encouragement!

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Entering the intensive care unit, Erica could see Callie leaning over her mother, holding her hand. Her mother was still sedated. As she approached the bed, she could hear a snippet of Callie's one-sided conversation and she could tell she was crying. She hung back, giving Callie some privacy.

"I didn't mean for any of this to happen. I want you to know that I never meant for any of this to happen. I'm scared out of my mind because I'm afraid that I'm going to lose you and I'm not just talking about this heart attack. I know I upset you yesterday... but you... you upset me too. I told you about the person who makes me happiest in life, and you tossed me aside. You told me you were disgusted by me, and that's just not right. I'm your daughter and I…" Callie stopped and wiped some of the tears away before she continued. "And I… I honestly expected you to be happy for me, or at least try to understand. I love her and if you get to know her, you'll see why. We're really good together, mom."

Looking up, Callie realized she was being watched. "I thought you were supposed to be on bed rest," she said quietly, unable to produce a shred of anger because she was no longer angry.

Ignoring what Callie said to her, Erica sat squatted down next to the chair Callie was in and cupped Callie's face with her hands. "We are really good together. So good together in fact, that I'm terrified of losing _you_. And when I get scared, I say and do inappropriate things. I'm sorry for what I said to you this morning. It was very wrong of me. My only excuse is that you asked me to help you get your family back, and I really felt that leaving your father in a jail cell wasn't going to do that. I'm sorry I didn't see things from your perspective. But more than that, I'm sorry for yelling at you." Erica looked imploringly into Callie's eyes, hoping to see a glimmer of forgiveness. She was not disappointed.

"It's okay, Erica. You were right. I can't abandon my dad even though he abandoned me. I was going to go and get him as soon as I was done saying goodbye to my mom." Callie whispered, crying softly.

"Don't say goodbye to her. Your relationship with her does not end here. We're in this together and I am going to make sure that you do not lose your mother or your father." Erica paused, afraid of rekindling the argmuent from earlier. Taking a deep breath, she continued. "And I've already taken care of your dad. Sort of. I posted bond for him before I came here."

"You did what?" Callie asked, outraged. "He kicked you yesterday and you went and posted bond for him? You really do have a head injury, don't you! What if he jumps bail? You'll lose all of your money!"

"First of all, I really don't think he's going to jump bail with your mother here in the hospital. And besides, bond was one dollar, with the caveat that someone from his family bail him out. And I guess I must be family now because they let me bail him out. I take it the judge didn't like him or his attitude towards what he'd done very much." Erica said quietly. "I, uh, also need to apologize because I told him off. I told him that I don't like him very much for what he did to you and that he needed to grow up and behave when he comes up here." Erica hung her head low, embarrassed over the way she handled the father of the woman she loved.

"Oh?" Callie said, though she wasn't the least bit surprised. She'd have been surprised if Erica _hadn't_ given her father a stern dressing down.

"I'm sorry for that, too." Erica said quietly. "I treated him pretty badly, but he gave as good as he got."

"Honestly, Erica, I wouldn't have blamed you if you'd killed him. But thank you. Thank you for being the bigger person and going to get him. Thank you for caring enough about me that you care about my family too, even though they were awful to you yesterday. And thank you for protecting me. I'm sure you had him squirming like a new intern." Callie smiled weakly.

"Sort of, yes." Erica smiled back, trying but failing to hide the pride in her smile. She had enjoyed making him squirm, even if it had been wrong of her.

"Where is he?" Callie looked around, the smile at Erica's attempt to hide her pride in sticking it to her father quickly disappearing.

"I told him that he had to wait until normal ICU visiting hours so he should use his time constructively, such as by thinking of a way to apologize to you." Erica said with a shrug of her shoulders. "That gives you two more hours of peace before he's allowed up here. I also told the charge nurse that you are not to be asked to leave at any time, but if your father shows the slightest loss of temper, he is to be escorted out by security. This way he can't tell you that you can't see your mother while she's here."

"Damn, Erica, I would have given anything to see that. My father is not used to being told what to do."

"Well, it's about time that someone started." Erica said with a smile. She stood and picked up the chart at the end of the bed.

"What are you doing?" Callie asked. "You're supposed to be off from work and on bed rest!"

"Just checking, Callie." And as if some sort of invisible, motion detecting alarm had been fastened to Callie's mother's chart, Cristina Yang materialized next to Erica.

"Dr. Hahn?" She said quickly, desperately trying to hide the fear that she'd either done something wrong or that Erica was just going to march in and take over the care of Callie's mother without so much as even consulting with her.

Instantly sensing Cristina's unease, Erica replied: "Relax Yang. She's your patient. But as your _teaching attending_, I do have to review the chart." Erica said the words 'teaching attending' as if they tasted like vomit. "Tell me what we have here." Erica said, completely businesslike.

Cristina suddenly went on autopilot. It was like someone flicked a switch in her and she turned into a surgical robot. Callie couldn't help but laugh to herself. "Maria Torres, age sixty-one, suffered a massive myocardial infarction less than twenty-four hours ago. Efforts to resuscitate were immediately undertaken and surgical intervention was successful. A three-millimeter clot was removed from the right ventricle and quadruple bypass was performed after angioplasty failed twice. Stents were placed to prevent future clotting. She has been critical but stable under sedation, and will remain sedated for the next twenty-four hours before intubation is removed. Low doses of antiarrhythmia medication have kept her sinus rhythm stable."

"Treatment protocol?" Erica asked.

"Following the successful removal of intubation tomorrow, treatment will include continued doses of antiarrhythmia medication, anticoagulants and pain management as needed. Bed rest will continue until the patient is strong enough for limited ambulation."

"Well done, Yang." Erica said, truly impressed. "That being said, I'd prefer to see you medicate the patient with disopyramide instead of what you're using now. It's just safer. Otherwise, well done."

"Thank you, Dr. Hahn." Cristina said, eagerly taking the chart from Erica after Erica updated the orders and signed off on what she'd written. Cristina practically skipped back to the nurses station.

"That wasn't so hard, was it?" Callie asked, not missing the opportunity to point out that Erica had treated Cristina like a human. A human surgical robot, anyway.

"Don't start, Calliope Torres." Erica said, but put a smile on her face to lessen the bite. She still could not stand being near Cristina Yang, but circumstances dictated otherwise. She may as well try to be pleasant with her. Well, Erica Hahn pleasant, whatever that was. Erica sat down in the chair on the other side of the bed from Callie. Technically the chair belonged to someone visiting the patient in the next bed, but considering that visiting hours had not yet started and the patient was comatose, Erica figured no one would mind. "You look like your dad, but you have your mother's eyes." She said, glancing between Callie and her mother. "I'll bet that when she's healthy, she's beautiful. Just like you, Callie."

Callie blushed. "Thanks. She's beautiful when she's not angrily trying to disown me."

"Tell me what it was like growing up in Florida, Callie." Erica said, trying to bring up happy conversation. She reached across Callie's mother and took Callie's hand in her own. Callie eagerly laced her fingers through Erica's.

"Well, the weather there is so different from here. My parents have a big house on the beach in Miami and it took me a long time to get used to not being in the sunshine all the time when I came here. It doesn't rain as much there, and I do miss the sun a lot. Coming to Seattle was also hard for me because it meant leaving them on the other side of the country." Callie started talking and talking. And just like that, Erica learned about Callie's family life growing up. Erica was enraptured by it. She'd never had what Callie did growing up. Her parents were comfortable financially but they didn't live in a mansion on the beach, and they certainly didn't lavish attention on her the way Callie's parents had lavished it on Callie. She couldn't help but be amazed at the attention that Callie's family had doled out upon her growing up. They were still comfortably chatting away, holding hands and laughing over some of Callie's funnier childhood exploits when they heard someone clear their throat at the end of the bed. Turning towards the sound, both women realized that visiting hours had started more than twenty minutes ago and Jesus Torres wanted to see his wife.

Behind Mr. Torres an elderly woman stood, looking forlornly at the patient in the bed next to Callie's mother. Erica stood to allow the woman to sit down. She even went so far as to take the woman's hand and help ease her into the chair, because it would keep her from having to look at Callie's father. Callie stood up too, but didn't say anything to her father. She just stared at him, her hand never leaving her Erica's.

"Have you forgotten how to greet your father?" He asked her sternly.

"No, I know the proper way to greet a father. You, however, made a choice and stopped being my father yesterday. I do not have to greet you." Callie said back, her tone even.

"Mija, we don't have to fight like this. I know I raised you better than to act this way. Come home with us. We'll get you some help-"

Disbelieving what she was hearing, Erica turned back to face the two of them, her arms crossed over her chest, her mouth in a taught line. She gave Jesus Torres her blue-eyed death stare before speaking. "I trust that you haven't forgotten our conversation from earlier, Mr. Torres."

"I have not." He replied, the disdain he felt for both Erica and their earlier conversation evident in both his voice and his facial expression.

"Then I suggest you find something else to talk to your daughter about before I follow through with my promise and have you removed from this ward." Erica said, the chill in her voice making the temperature in the room fall a few degrees.

"Actually, Erica, we can go for now." Callie let go of Erica's hand as she started to walk towards the end of the bed, towards the exit into the main corridor. "He can stay to visit and then I can come back after visiting hours are over. Let's go home and try to get some rest. I could use a good home cooked meal and a hot bath." When Callie said the word "home" it was like someone had slapped her father.

"You… you live together?" He said disbelievingly.

"We do." Erica said, raising her eyebrows in a clear challenge to Mr. Torres.

"In-" The wheels were turning in his head faster than he could form the words. "In the same room? In the same bed?"

Erica answered for Callie again. "I don't think that's any of your business, Mr. Torres. I do not ask you whether you sleep in the same bed as your wife, do I? So why would you ask us if we sleep in the same bed together? Think about what I told you in the car this morning. I love your daughter. This is not some kind of experiment, some kind of fling. I love her and we are together. So draw from that whatever conclusion you want regarding our sleeping arrangements."

"That's sick. Calliope, what are you doing? Why do you not understand how wrong this is?" His voice was desperate. It dawned on Callie at that moment that perhaps her father would never truly grasp the fact that she loved Erica completely and that they were as happy together as any straight couple.

"Mr. Torres, I would suggest that you sit down and visit with your wife. Because unless the next thing out of your mouth is an apology for what you just said to the both of us, you will be leaving this unit." Erica rubbed her temples. Her headache was back, and she had Jesus Torres to thank for it- for a second time. How was it possible for someone to be so cold and cruel to their own child? Even her own father had never addressed her like that, even when he'd cut her out of his own life.

Seeing that Erica was starting to feel unwell, Callie walked around the bed and took her by the hand, again lacing her fingers through Erica's. "Let's go home." She said before she turned and addressed her father. "I'm disappointed in you. I never knew you could be so closed-minded and hurtful. Before today, when Erica and I talked about telling the two of you about us, I had been hopeful that you'd come around and understand just how happy I am. I thought that even though you wouldn't be happy at first, at least you'd accept it eventually. But you don't even want to know how happy I am. You're not interested in even getting to know Erica. You don't care about my happiness and I'm starting to wonder if you ever did. I think the only thing you care about is your image and how your family reflects upon that. I'm shocked and I'm disappointed in _myself_. I've known you for thirty-four years and I'm just now getting to see you for who you really are."

"Calliope, what about my happiness? And your mother's happiness? How can we be happy when you treat us like this? Look what you've done to your mother. Do you think she's happy, lying there like that? I know that we raised you to be different. We raised you to be a good girl. What happened to you when you came out here?" To his credit, Callie's father was not yelling. He actually sounded forlorn.

"I fell in love. That's what happened to me. Maybe you remember falling in love too? Or has your heart been stone cold for so long that you no longer remember what it was like to fall in love?"

"This is not love. It cannot be love. Maybe she's mislead you into thinking that this perversion is love, but it is not love."

"It's not? How is it not love? I love Erica. She loves me. And she didn't mislead me. As a matter of fact, _I kissed her_. I fell in love with her. Why is that such a big deal? She shows me how much she loves me every minute of every day and I try to show her the same. If you'd stop and look, you'd see that the love we have for each other is no different than the love that you and mom have. I think you need to reevaluate your position on what love is."

"You kissed her? That's-" He stopped, stuttering, obviously disgusted by the thought of his daughter kissing another woman. He stopped and changed tracks. "You're young; you don't know what love is."

"That argument may have worked on me if I were fifteen, but I'm thirty-four now. I'm an adult and I make decisions like an adult and I've decided that I'm not going to argue with you anymore. I'm finished with you and your disapproval. I really wanted to have you in my life so you could share in the life Erica and I are building together, but you've chosen to walk out of it by what you've said and done over the past two days. Losing you may be the hardest thing that ever happens to me, but I will not lose Erica. She loves me the way you're supposed to love me: unconditionally. Mom may have been the one who almost died yesterday, but it's the father I thought I knew that I'm going to mourn. I don't know what you did with him, but he's gone now and he's left nothing but a spoiled, judgmental shell in his place."

Jesus Torres was too stunned to respond. Instead, he sank down into the chair that Callie had vacated, leaning his elbows onto the bed, his face in his hands.

Erica grabbed their purses with one hand and wrapped her other arm around Callie's shoulder, burying her face in Callie's hair and kissing the top of her head. Arms around one another, Erica whispered comforting words to Callie as they walked away.


	39. Homemade Pizza

**A/N:** Sorry, this chapter's kinda short. Expect smut next chapter. :) Thanks for the reviews... keep 'em coming!

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Erica had insisted that despite her pounding headache, she was still okay to drive home. Callie followed Erica in her own car and the two of them pulled into their respective garages. Callie was still amazed at Erica's house and she was still having a hard time believing that she lived there now. She'd gone from living on Cristina Yang's couch to living in a beautiful home, complete with her own spot in the garage. As the twin garage doors lowered behind them, Erica spoke. "I'm proud of you for standing up for us, Callie. You're amazing. Are you okay?"

Callie looked dazed, on the verge of tears. Coming home meant finally relaxing, and relaxing meant letting her defenses down for the first time in two days. "No, I'm not. I'm not okay. I just cut my father out of my life. I did to him exactly what he did to me yesterday. I'm just as wrong as he is. What is the matter with me?" The two entered the house and walked to the living room. Exhausted and aching, Erica laid back on the living room sofa, taking Callie into her arms so that she was laying atop her.

"Callie, you told him the truth. You showed him the truth in black and white and he still refused to accept it. You didn't cut him out of your life, he chose to walk away from it. I'm sorry for what he did to you. I'm sorry for how he treated you. But he walked away from you and you need to find strength in the fact that you stood up for what you believe in. You stood up for us. I'm amazed at your strength and courage."

"But I still lost my father."

"Let's give it some time. It's been less than forty-eight hours since he's had to come to terms with the idea of his daughter falling in love with another woman. Let's give him time to let his senses come back to him. I don't blame him for being shocked. I mean, I was shocked when I realized I had feelings for you, and I'm sure you were shocked about your feelings for me too. What I do blame him for is the way he dealt with his shock. But when it does wear off, he may still come around. It's important to not give up hope. And if he does come around, you need to realize that it may be a slow process. It's not going to happen in an instant."

"Oh Erica, how do you know that he'll ever come around at all?" Callie whimpered.

"Honestly, Callie, I don't know. But I'm hopeful that he will come around eventually. He's stupid to give up someone so incredibly wonderful. I'm hoping for his sake that he'll wake up one day and realize that."

"You're not going to wake up one day and think this was all a mistake, are you?" Callie asked, the dam holding back her tears breaking.

Stunned, Erica turned Callie so that they were lying face-to-face now. "Why on Earth would you ever, ever think that?"

"Because if George can leave me... if Addison can just disappear from my life... if my own parents can leave me, so can you. We're only together a week. It's been an amazing week, but it's just been a week. What if you get tired of me? What if later on, you discover that I'm not what you need?"

"Oh my God, Callie, please do not think that way! You are the only one I need. I don't care that it's just been a week that we're together. I live and breathe for you. You were in my heart for months before we finally let go and took things to where they are now. We fought so hard to get to this place. We tormented ourselves fighting the feelings we were having and I know that I cannot live without you. I love you! Don't you know that? I thought you did, based on what you said to your father today. "

"I meant everything I said to him. But if you leave me, Erica, I'll have nothing. No one to love me and nowhere to go. And that's a very scary thought."

"The only place I'm going is to my grave knowing that I loved you every moment of every day for the rest of my life. When I think of the my future, I see you in it. I've kept every promise I've ever made to you Callie, so believe me when I make you this promise. I promise to love you forever. I promise I'm not going anywhere unless I go with you. You are my life's only ray of sunshine. You've taught me what it's like to live and I'm going to live that life with you. Please, please, please, don't ever be scared about me leaving. We're going to have good days and bad days. And some of those bad days are going to be really bad because every relationship has days like those... but I promise you this: The good days are going to far out number the bad. And on the bad days, I'll never go to bed angry at you. I want you by my side, day and night, now and forever."

Crying, Callie kissed Erica before Erica continued. "For the past two days, I was the one who was so afraid that you'd leave me. I thought that once your parents came, you would realize that you needed them more than me and you'd leave. But I never doubted what I feel for you. What your parents did to you is about the worst thing that any parent could do to their child, but I am so grateful that you stayed with me. You stuck up for us, you proclaimed your love for me. No one has ever done that for me before, ever. And I've never loved anyone as much as I love you."

"I love you, too." Callie whispered, still crying. She laid her head down on Erica's chest and listened to her heart beat for a long while. She continued to cry quietly and Erica held her, rubbing her back and occasionally kissing the top of Callie's head.

"I wish I had a way to take away the pain you're feeling about your parents right now. But the best I can do is offer you hope. I can't give you what you want, but I can try to help you get it back. Aside from my love, hope is all I have to give." Erica whispered.

"My parents cannot give me what you've given me. You've given me a reason to live. Before you, I just floated through life. I did what I was told and I was a good little girl for my parents to show off. I went where fate took me and I didn't question anything. But now, I have you, and I don't want to lose you because I know that I was put here to be with you."

Headache forgotten, Erica pulled Callie's face closer to hers so that she could kiss her. Tasting the salt from Callie's tears, Erica quickly deepened the kiss, but Callie put a stop to it. Erica actually whined in protest.

"I know... I know. But we're both exhausted and you practically passed out on me when you came this morning, and not in that really-good-sex kind of way." Callie whispered, brushing her lips over Erica's before she stood up, offering her hand to Erica and helping her up off the couch before leading her to the bedroom. "Let's take a nap. A comfy, safe, happy, quiet nap followed by a hot bath before visiting hours end tonight and I can go back to see my mom. Then if you're up to it, we can have hot sex after we come home." Callie gave Erica a cheeky grin.

"But I want to have hot sex now!" Erica said, pretending to whine.

"You know, if I didn't know you better, I'd say that kick in the head turned you into a bit of a nymphomaniac!" Callie laughed.

"Hey, that's not nice! We had just as much sex over the weekend as we had today." Erica said, just a tinge of hurt in her voice.

"That's true. But you weren't hurt at the spa!" Callie countered.

"But you were! Your toes were broken. Theoretically they still are!" Erica laughed.

"Okay, you're right. You're right. But Erica, I'm so tired and you must be too. It's awful being awakened every few hours like you were. How are you not asleep on your feet?"

Sighing, Erica said, "I am sort of sleeping on my feet. Andy my head is killing me. But sex is a natural painkiller and sleeping after an orgasm is so much better than just going to sleep."

"You do have a point... but there'll be plenty of time for that later. I'm so tired I could cry again." Callie said, pulling off the clothes she'd changed into that morning and slipping under the sheets on the bed in nothing but her bra and underwear.

Following suit, Erica slipped into bed beside Callie. She was completely exhausted. So much so that she just left her clothes lying on the floor in a messy heap. Erica Hahn loved neatness and order. To leave clothes tossed on the floor when she wasn't yanking them off for sex was really unlike her. That's truly how tired she was. Resting her head on the pillow, Erica realized that she could just go to sleep content with feeling the semi-dressed Callie next to her. Automatically, she wrapped her arms around Callie and within seconds she was dozing. For that reason, what happened next came as a complete surprise to her.

"Erica?" Callie whispered, shifting her body so that she was facing Erica.

"Huh?" Erica murmured, sleep washing over her and making it hard to answer Callie.

"I changed my mind. I want hot sex with you. Right now."

That woke Erica up. "Right now?"

"And again later, too." Callie giggled, pulling Erica close and kissing her with the same fervor as the kiss she'd interrupted out on the couch. Erica responded in kind. And later, after it was all over, the sleep was really good too.

When Callie woke up several hours later, the sun was hanging low in the sky, threatening to set at any moment. She rolled over and was surprised to see that Erica wasn't lying in bed next to her. She got up and pulled Erica's robe around her, wrapping it around her tightly and smelling the scent of Erica's soap. No matter where Callie was or what she was doing, if she smelled Erica's soap, she smiled. She had her nose nuzzled in the robe when she opened the bedroom door and the smell of something equally delicious wafted in. She headed down to the kitchen and found Erica standing at the stove, her back towards the door, wearing nothing but a t-shirt and panties. Callie quietly walked up behind her, hoping to sneak up on Erica. Just as her hands were reaching out to wrap around Erica's waist, Erica turned towards her just slightly.

"Hey gorgeous. Sleep well?" She whispered as she leaned back into Callie's embrace.

"How'd you know I was coming?" Callie asked between the kisses she was feathering down Erica's neck.

"I could feel it. I could feel you from a mile away. You're all I ever think about and when you're near me, I just feel it." Erica whispered.

"You're amazing, you know that?" Callie asked. "Whatcha making?" She asked, pretending to strike up a conversation between wet, languid kisses.

"Pizza." Erica replied, lifting her arms up and back so that she could touch Callie's hair as she kissed her.

"You made pizza?" Callie asked, still kissing but genuinely impressed.

"I happen to be quite a cook, Torres." Erica whispered. "I also happen to be quite good with my hands."

"Oh yes you are..." Callie whispered, finding the pulse point on Erica's neck and kissing there for a moment. She loved feeling Erica's pulse increase when she touched her. Her hands found the hem of Erica's t-shirt and had worked their way underneath. Callie was just beginning to cup Erica's breasts when a timer went off on the stove. The two of them pulled apart and sighed simultaneously, but then laughed together when they'd heard their identical reactions. Erica pulled on oven mitts and bent down very slowly to open the door to the oven. Callie was treated to quite a show. Erica could hear Callie draw in a ragged breath as she bent down to remove the pizza she'd made from the oven. She smiled as she turned around.

"Like what you see?" She asked.

Callie could only nod in appreciation.

"Hungry?" Erica asked, walking the pizza to the table.

Callie's mouth was watering, but it wasn't because Erica had just baked a homemade pizza. It was because she was standing there with a homemade pizza in very slinky underwear and as she bent over the table to put it down, she treated Callie to a very appealing view of her cleavage.

Watching Callie with a wry grin on her face, Erica put the pizza down on the table that she'd set earlier. When she spoke, her voice was deep and filled with innuendo. "Wait until you see what's for dessert."


	40. Pediatrics!

**A/N:** So sorry for the delay folks. A combination of computer problems (again) and a busier-than-usual-week have kept me from updating. This chapter is a bit longer than usual, I hope it makes up for how long I've kept you waiting. It also involves smut and fluff, two of my favorite things. :)

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Despite the very erotic start to dinner, the two of them actually, well, behaved long enough to eat, and the food was really delicious. At first they kept their conversation light, because both of them knew that talking about Callie's family situation was just going to be too much for the moment.

"Hey, you know, I was over signing discharge papers on Cement Boy when you paged me yesterday." Callie said, but deftly avoided the incident that occurred after the page by continuing: "He's going to rehab for a while, but his internal organs are all bouncing back really well. He's young and he was fairly healthy so he's lucky for that. He's going to need a lot of physical therapy and Mark had indicated in his chart that he is going to need a lot of skin grafting on his alkaline burns. But otherwise, he's going to be okay."

"That's great news!"

"Yeah, and the best part is that Lola, the girl he rambled on about the entire time is now his girlfriend! I don't think I told you that she kissed him while Bailey and I were getting him settled in recovery. I guess no matter who you are, sometimes you have to suffer to get the person you love."

"What do you mean?" Erica asked, hoping that Callie wasn't setting her up for a breakup. Was Callie suffering so she could get her family back?

"They both suffered. Andrew's suffering was pretty obvious, but Lola was all torn up inside too. She was afraid of what people would think of her for dating him and she was there today when I was signing the discharge papers. She said she hasn't seen or heard from any of her 'friends' since that night last week. So she gave up her only friends to be with him. You gave up the opportunity of a lifetime with Walter Tapley to be with me. And I'm giving up my family to be with you." Callie looked down. She hadn't wanted to bring the conversation back around to her family again, but there it was. There apparently could be no avoiding it.

"Callie, believe me when I say that I feel, in the deepest depths of my heart, that you are going to work things out with your family. Maybe things won't be the same, but you won't lose them. And there's another way to look at Andrew's story that I don't think you've considered." Erica hated calling Andrew 'Cement Boy', especially after all he went through.

"What's that?" Callie asked.

"Lola may have lost her friends, but were they really her friends? Or was it time for her to see that those were not the kind of people she needed to be around? There were better people waiting for her, to make her part of their lives. And Andrew got his happy ending. He fought for the girl he loved and he got her."

"But my family isn't like Lola's friends." Callie said.

"No, in some respects, they're not. They were very supportive and loving towards you. They did they best they could raising you, and if I have anything to say about it, they did a fine job." Erica winked at Callie before continuing. "But right now, what they're doing to you, is just like what Lola's friends did to her. They're pressuring you to see things their way. They're treating me like they treated Andrew. And now that you've confirmed to them that you're staying with me, theyr're cutting you out of their lives."

"And I'm fighting for the girl I love. I hope I get her." Callie said quietly.

"You already do." Erica replied.

Callie was quiet for a while, pushing a piece of pizza crust around her plate while her thoughts churned. Erica watched her carefully, debating whether she should say something. Instead, she let Callie process her thoughts. Callie spoke after a long while, but as was her habit, it was as if the conversation from earlier had never ended. "You have me too, you know. You don't have to fight so hard. I mean, I love that you've fought for me and that you're protecting me. But I can see how uncertain you are and how scared you are that I'm going to leave you, and that almost hurts me because I'm at a loss for ways to prove to you that I'm here and I'm staying. You have me too, Erica. And I know, in the deepest depths of my heart, that we're going to be together, always. So here's the deal I'd like to make with you..." Callie smiled at Erica's raised eyebrows. "I'll believe what's in your heart about my family if you believe what's in my heart about the two of us."

Erica's face lit up in a huge smile that was so rare for her. "It's a deal!" She stood up and hugged Callie to her, harder than she'd ever hugged her before. "But Callie, just one addendum to our deal. I'm never, ever going to stop fighting for you. I can't not do that. I will fight anyone, in any way I can, who tries to separate us. Because even though I know you want to be with me and you will do everything you can to be with me, I will not, ever, stop fighting for you. For us."

Callie hugged her back. "That's good to know, because I promise you the same thing." The two of them grinned like lovesick fools for a few minutes before Callie got up, telling Erica that she was going to call and get a status on her mother. Erica nodded and picked up a plate, bringing it to the dish washer. Callie walked over to the phone on the kitchen wall and called the hospital. She was put through to the ICU and was surprised when the nurse answering the phone had Cristina Yang pick up.

"Uh, hi Cristina." Callie winced. She wanted things to go back to the way they were with Cristina but she really just could not fight this battle with her and fight the battle with her parents at the same time. The last person she expected to still be at the hospital was Cristina Yang. Did she ever go home?

"Callie, hi." Cristina said, the awkwardness in her voice just as evident as it was in Callie's. "I, um, heard the nurse say your name and saw that she was looking up your mom's chart. I figured I could give you an update since I was here anyway."

"Haven't you far exceeded the eighty-hour rule by now?" Callie asked, referring to the law that prohibited a doctor from performing surgeries after they'd been on duty for more than 80 hours.

"I, uh, I'm not performing any surgeries right now, Callie."

"You're not performing any surgeries?!" From across the room, Callie could see Erica's ears perk up.

"Your mother was the exception to my surgical suspension. The Chief... last week after what happened- no- after what I did- the Chief told me I would not be scrubbing in on any surgeries for the next six weeks. He also had me working twenty-four hour shifts in Peds up until your mother came in."

"PEDIATRICS?" Callie exclaimed, and Erica's resolve broke. She raced across the kitchen to try and hear more of the conversation.

"Um, yes." The shame was clearly evident in Cristina's voice. "I was going to be working on pediatrics until I was permitted to scrub back in for surgeries. When the Chief paged me about your mom, he told me that this was an emergency, that it would be the only time I would be scrubbing in, and that I would be going back to pediatrics after your mother recovered."

"Um, wow. Cristina, I don't really know what to say." Callie knew that Cristina and kids did not mix. The Chief hadn't been kidding when he'd said that he'd make Cristina pay for what she'd done. No surgeries and six weeks of sick kids would be enough to break the resolve of just about anyone who wasn't looking to do pediatrics for a living.

"Well, you could say that you'll let me meet up with you and Erica so I can apologize. I mean, not now. I know that right now you've got too much going on, but later, if you would let me talk to the two of you, I would appreciate it." Cristina paused. This was just way too much for her. She couldn't understand where it was all coming from. She didn't really make friends and she usually didn't care if she lost one of the few friends she had. But she felt reprehensible about what she'd done to Callie. She was also perturbed that she had tried to feel the same way about Erica, but she didn't. She knew that Erica Hahn didn't like her, but that wasn't an excuse to keep from teaching her. She was still angry about that, but she was also shocked and more than thrilled when Erica had complimented her work earlier that day. "I, um... well, uh, Callie, I miss you."

Callie cleared her throat. She could tell that Erica was practically having a stroke because she couldn't hear what Cristina was saying. "Wow, Cristina." Callie said, unsure of what to do next, so she went for the truth. "I miss your friendship too." That last sentence visibly pissed off Erica and Callie had to turn her back towards her for fear of Erica ripping the phone out of her hands. Callie tried to make things right with everyone the only way she knew how. "I think it would be a good idea if the three of us sat down and tried to work out our differences. It's just that right now, things are a little difficult. Maybe after my mother goes home?"

"That would be great. Thanks." Cristina finished her sentence and there was more awkward silence.

"Um, Cristina, my mom?" Callie asked, prodding her along.

"Oh, yeah right. Your mom. Sorry. Your mom is still stable, doing very well. Her sinus rhythm is stronger and her labs all came back better than expected. We're going take her off sedation in the morning and see how she does. You could, um, you could be here, if you wanted. It might help her if she sees a familiar face when the sedation wears off. You know how patients get when they realize they're intubated and try to breathe on their own."

"Well, I was going to come down there tonight. I think my dad wants to be there in the morning." Callie answered.

"Your dad was here during visiting hours, Callie, and that's the only time he's going to be allowed back. We're going to cease sedation first thing in the morning, before visiting hours start. So you could be here, if you wanted to be. And I think maybe you could use some rest. You don't have to come back tonight. Your mom is strong and I'm going to be here, in an on-call room if something- if she needs anything."

"I wanted to see her..." Callie started, but Cristina cut her off.

"Cal, listen, sleep in your own bed tonight. I swear I'll call if anything at all changes. Just get some rest. You're going to need it for when she wakes up."

"Um, you'll call me? I mean, if she so much as breathes the wrong way, you'll call me, right?"

"Absolutely." Cristina answered firmly. "Just get some rest, okay? I'll see you tomorrow."

"All right. Thanks Cristina. Bye. " Callie said as she hung up the phone. She turned to see Erica staring at her. The pissed off expression from earlier was slowly evaporating from her face.

"How is she?" She asked gently.

"Good, actually. She's stronger, her labs came back okay, and they're going to take her off sedation in the morning. I was going to go back there tonight, but now I'm not. I'm going to go first thing in the morning. Cristina said I can be there when the sedation wears off to calm my mother when she wakes up."

"That's good. I'm glad that she's coming off sedation. I'm also glad that you'll be home." Erica didn't say anything else about Cristina. Callie did.

"She brought up the three of sitting down to talk." Callie started.

"Actually, it sounded like you brought that up." Erica said not able to help herself.

Callie sighed. This argument seemed to be inevitable. "No, she brought it up first. I just expanded on it a bit. Erica, I would really, really love it if you sat down with her and me and we worked this all out. I'm not asking you to be her friend. But she was my friend at one time and I miss her friendship. And I can't be her friend if my girlfriend hates her, because then by default, my girlfriend is going to hate me."

"Callie, I would never hate you for being her friend. That's insane. But I also think it's insane that you want to be her friend again after the stunt she pulled."

"Maybe if you told her why you don't like to teach her, things would be a bit different."

"Absolutely not. My private life is none of her business. So don't you even tell her. I agreed to teach her, and I'm going to do that. So let it go."

"I don't want to let it go, Erica. If the roles were reversed and there wasn't this whole 'Preston-Burke-Cost-Me-My-Family' issue, I'd want to be friends with my girlfriend's friends."

"Well Callie, there is that whole Preston Burke issue, and that issue is none of Yang's business. However, I'm not going to fight with you over this. If you want us to sit down and talk, that's fine. But it's going to be to set up clear rules for me teaching her. I will not, in any way, shape, or form befriend that psycho. If you want to be friends with her, that's fine. I give you my blessing."

Callie looked like Erica slapped her. "She's a good person. She made a mistake. A really big mistake. She hurt us but I'm ready to try to forgive her. I can't not forgive her. I'm looking for forgiveness from my own family, and it would be completely hypocritical of me to not forgive Cristina."

Erica's mouth was open with a sharp retort well on it's way to being spoken when Callie's words hit her and she stopped, mouth ajar and finger half-pointed towards Callie. She was right. It was all about forgiveness. Callie had forgiven her earlier today, and she needed to forgive Yang for what she'd done too.

"Christ, Callie. You're right. But do you know how fucking hard it's going to be to forgive her? She almost cost us both our careers!"

"I know. But she didn't, and she's trying to make it up to us."

"Still..." Erica said.

"It may make you feel better to know that the Chief took her off of surgeries for six weeks and has her working in pediatrics when she's not caring for my mother."

Erica's face broke into a grin, acutely aware of just how bad Cristina had it at the moment. "Damn. He wasn't kidding when he said he'd punish her."

"I know!" Callie laughed.

"All right. I'll talk to her with you. But I'm not being her friend." Erica said.

"That's all I could ask for, Erica. Just talk to her." Callie smiled, relieved. She moved back to the table and finished clearing it off. Placing the last dish in the dish washer and turning it on, Callie turned to see Erica watching her, still standing beside the heavy wooden table. Erica's gaze moved slowly up Callie's body, and Callie could almost feel Erica's gaze touching her, rubbing up against her and caressing her.

"So we're not going back to the hospital tonight?" She asked, her voice throaty and deep.

"No."

"So, we're staying home..." Erica asked again.

"Home." Callie said with a sly grin. "I'm staying home. With you."

Erica leaned back against the table and summoned Callie to her by holding out her hand and hitching her finger.

Callie wasted no time getting back to the table. Wrapping Erica tightly in her arms and kissing her tenderly, she whispered "Ready for dessert?" Erica didn't have the chance to reply because Callie bent slightly and lifted Erica up and on to the table, so that she was sitting facing her. Surprised at Callie's strength and agility, Erica gaped momentarily at Callie before leaning back in for a kiss.

"I set a lot of bones, Hahn. You've got to be strong to do that." Callie whispered to Erica's unasked question between kisses.

"You're the strongest person I know, Torres." Erica murmured back as she slid the robe off of Callie's shoulders. Callie knew she didn't just mean physically.

Callie gently laid Erica back on the table and slid the slinky underwear off of her before tossing them over her shoulder. She pushed Erica's t-shirt up and exposed her breasts, lavishing attention on both of them before moving back down between Erica's legs. She lifted her legs over her shoulders and dove in, licking, sucking and manipulating with her tongue. When Erica came, she slid her fingers deep inside of her to feel the orgasm that she created. Erica started to sit back up when Callie pushed her back down against the table again. "I'm not done." Callie said quietly. She took Erica's legs down off her shoulders and let them dangle off the edge of the table. She then covered the top of Erica's body with her own, kissing her deeply and keeping her fingers inside of Erica. She started slowly, letting Erica ride out the last waves of her previous orgasm before she worked her up towards another one. When she came again, Callie kissed her hard.

Not one to miss out on reciprocating, Erica pulled Callie up onto the table with her. She deepened the kiss before she broke away, and maneuvered Callie's body, pulling her up and turning her so that she could better access Callie's own pleasure center while she was still lying back on the table. Callie eased down so that she was straddling over Erica's face on her knees. Erica's tongue eased in to the cleft between Callie's legs and quickly got down to business. Callie's legs quickly started to give way as the waves of sheer bliss started to wash over her, but she took it as an opportunity to please Erica again when she could no longer sit up. Leaning down, so that her body was now covering Erica's, she slid her tongue back over Erica's clit. Already worked up from her last orgasm, it took just a few strokes of Callie's tongue before she came again, and this time, Callie came with her.

It took them a few minutes to calm down after their latest adventure. Erica wanted to continue, but she was surprised when Callie turned herself back around and snuggled in with her. It started to get cold in the kitchen after a while and the two of them realized around the same time that they were basking on the kitchen table. Getting up, Callie helped Erica down before she bent over to pick up the robe that Erica had peeled off of her earlier. Unwittingly treating Erica to the same show she'd gotten at the oven earlier, she gasped as she felt Erica's fingers slip into her from behind, and she collapsed face down onto the very robe she had bent over to retrieve, pulling Erica down with her.

"Dear god, Callie, you are so hot." Erica growled as she wrapped her hand around Callie's front, finding the very aroused bundle of nerves she was looking for. Flicking them with one hand, she used her other hand to pump in and out of Callie from behind. Callie screamed in pleasure for a solid five minutes before her orgasm even hit her, and when it did, her scream was cut off suddenly, as Erica succeeded in knocking her out for the second time during an orgasm. Erica kissed her neck, waking her seconds after she'd gone limp in her arms.

"That's twice." She murmured as Erica kissed her, leaning her head away to give Erica better access. "I can't believe you've done that to me twice. No one had ever done that to me before and you've done it to me twice." She said, not as foggy as the last time it happened to her.

"Want to try for a third time?" Erica murmured back to her.

"Not until I've done it to you, first." Callie said, gently rolling Erica off of her and getting to her feet. She held her hand out to Erica and helped her up, but it was Erica that started to lead her towards the bedroom. They didn't get far, because Callie pounced on her in the hallway, and again on the floor in the bedroom before they ever made it to the bed. Callie didn't succeed in making Erica pass out, but she did reset Erica's record for orgasms in one day. Erica made sure she evened the score in bed before the two of them passed out for the night, tangled in each other's arms.


	41. What to Expect

**A/N:** Continuing with the smut and the drama... :)

Thanks for the reviews. They're what keep this story going!

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The sun hadn't even risen in the sky the next morning when Erica woke Callie. Callie would have been mad about the early hour, except for the fact that Erica had woken her up by sliding down, under the sheets, and tracing lazy circles around Callie's clit with her tongue. Erica was amazed at how deeply Callie was sleeping when she'd started. It had taken several minutes for Callie to even moan her name, and that moan came from a dream and not from the obvious arousal she was creating. When Erica gave a tiny nibble to the perky rosebud she'd been manipulating, Callie burst into full consciousness. Erica mumbled "Good morning, sleepyhead..." before she continued with what she was doing. Callie came not long afterwards and Erica slid back up and on top of Callie, kissing her passionately.

"How are you feeling today?" Callie asked her between kisses.

"Pretty good. Headache's gone. My cheek's still a bit sore, but I imagine that'll take a while before it feels normal again." Erica kissed back.

"Mmm, yes, it will. I know a way to make you feel better though..." Callie said as she rolled the two of them over and slid down Erica, repeating what Erica had done to her. It didn't take very long for Erica to climax and Callie slid back up to lie beside her, resting her head on Erica's shoulder. "How do you feel now?" Callie asked teasingly.

"Better than ever." Erica said as she wrapped Callie in her arms and closed her eyes. "You were dreaming before, weren't you?"

"Yup. About you." Callie whispered. "You visit me in my dreams a lot."

"Before we got together, I used to dream about you constantly. You haunted my every waking moment, and then you'd spend the night with me in my dreams. I used to wake up feeling so empty, because all I had were dreams of you, and nothing more."

"I know how that felt. I used to wake up feeling the same way... sometimes even if I didn't dream of you. I'd still wake up wishing you were there next to me. You really are my dream come true."

Erica pulled Callie in and gave her a peck on the lips. "And you're mine," she said as she hugged Callie closer to her.

They were quiet for a while and Callie thought that Erica had fallen back to sleep. Callie started to doze again herself, letting the warmth and security she felt in Erica's arms envelope her. She was just drifting off when Erica spoke again and because of that she jumped a little bit when she heard Erica's words.

"Um, Callie, you know what's going to happen today with your mom, right?" She said gently.

"They're taking her off sedation." Callie said simply.

"Yes, they're going to do that. I know you're a doctor Callie, so forgive me if I tell you something you already know... but I just want to make sure that you're ready for what's going to happen today." Erica said gently.

"I've seen patients come off of sedation and choke on their intubation, if that's what you mean." Callie said quietly, secretly pleased that Erica cared enough to warn her ahead of time. "I know it's scary and unpleasant."

"I know... but there's more too, Callie. I just don't know if you've had contact with that many critical cardio cases as an orthopedic resident, and I'm sorry again if I'm telling you something you already know. I know you're great with traumas, even the 'really big traumas', but it would make me feel better if I could just tell you ahead of time. This is your mom, so I just want you to be prepared for what you're going to see."

Callie nodded, smiling at Erica's reference to the 'really big trauma' phrase that she'd repeated, over and over again the day before she'd kissed Erica for the first time. Callie took Erica's hand as Erica continued. "You know, I'm sure, that they're going to wean your mother off sedation with her first scheduled dose this morning. They'll take her off of it slowly, giving her the opportunity to wake up on her own. When she does come to, she is probably going to fight the intubation, as you already know. If she does that, and she meets a whole list of other criteria at that time, they'll extubate her, because that's a sign that she's capable of breathing independently. But you need to know that your mom went through a lot and there's a chance, however slight, that we won't be able to extubate her. Not today, and maybe not ever. And if we do extubate, there's a chance that she may have to be intubated again if complications arise. About fifteen percent of all patients that have been extubated have to be intubated again due to complications." Erica stopped and looked at Callie. This was so much harder than preparing just any patient's family for what they would see. This was Callie and she was dealing with Callie's mother. To her credit, Callie seemed to be taking in the information Erica was telling her in stride. She didn't look angry that Erica was telling her things she'd probably learned in her first year of medical school, and she also didn't look very scared. Erica took a deep breath before she continued on again. "Your mother was deprived of oxygen, and even though in your mother's case it was for a very, very brief period, there could still be brain damage. I don't think that there is- I've been over her chart and that looks fine. I was there when she coded so I know we were pumping oxygen into her after less than two minutes of deprivation, but that doesn't mean that she didn't sustain any brain damage. It's rare, but I've seen brain damage in patients with oxygen deprivation about the same length of time as your mother's. There's a chance for it, but really, I don't think we're going to see that in her case."

"I- I know, Erica. But thanks for not making it a surprise for me. It means a lot to me that you want to prepare me for this. It's hard enough as it is with my parents, but today's going to be really difficult." Callie whispered.

"We'll get through it. I'll be there with you and I can answer any questions you have and I can kick your dad's ass if I have to." Erica smiled sweetly at Callie before she continued. "Callie, when she does wake up, she's going to be confused. And, there's a chance that she might not remember what happened on Tuesday at all. A lot of trauma patients don't remember the minutes leading up to whatever caused the trauma. Keep that in mind, okay?" Erica gave Callie a peck on her cheek. "I don't know if her not remembering will be a good thing or not. But we'll have to work through it either way. So let's be prepared for that, all right?"

Callie nodded at Erica but didn't say anything. Erica spoke again. "We should probably get up and get started. Provided that everything went according to plan last night, I'd say that they're just starting to lower the anesthetic that's keeping your mother under. Even though it will still be several hours before she is physically capable of waking, we should really consider getting there soon. I'd like to be there when they extubate her. There are a lot of variables that need to fall into place and as much as I've trusted Yang with your mother's care so far, I just want to be there to make sure that nothing goes wrong. Extubation is difficult, even for the most experienced attendings and I would just feel better overseeing Yang when she does it."

"Cristina's not going to be happy about that." Callie said.

"I'm not taking this away from her. I'm just going to observe and I'll step in if needed. Technically I'm off work due to the concussion and should not be involved in patient care, but this is your mother and I personally would just feel better if I was there. Just in case."

"Thank you for wanting to be there, Erica. I feel better knowing you'll be there to watch over her. And me." Callie leaned in and kissed her sweetly. "I'm scared. I have to be honest and say that I'm really, really scared. But I feel better knowing you're going to be there with me." Callie paused, tracing her fingers down Erica's arm. "How about that hot bath we said we'd take yesterday, before we got distracted? I'd like to be nice and relaxed and refreshed before we head back to the hospital."

"That sounds nice." Erica said as she pulled the sheets off of herself and walked towards the bathroom. Callie hung back to collect her thoughts while she heard Erica filling the tub. She knew Erica was trying to be gentle with her, so that there wouldn't be so much of a shock if her mother couldn't be breathe on her own. She knew that Erica was giving her worst case scenarios, but that Erica had seen her mother's chart and that it didn't appear that her mother would be likely to fall into one of those categories she'd described. She hadn't really thought of any complications arising because she had been to focused on what was going to happen when her mother did wake up. What would happen if she didn't remember what had caused her heart attack? Would she have to come out to her mother all over again? And what would that shock do to her? And if her mother did remember what had taken place in the lounge on Tuesday morning, would she speak with her? Or would she and her father team up again and throw her back out of their lives? Or what if she did wake up and she could no longer speak at all? Would that be worse than if she could speak and she told Callie that nothing had changed; that she didn't want to see her ever again?

Callie sat up in bed and rested her head in her hands. She felt like she was on the verge of tears again. This was all too uncertain and confusing. How had all of this happened? Last week had been the happiest week of her entire life. Everything had come together for her and she'd felt more confident than ever before. She'd finally found happiness and for a short time, nothing could bring her down. She was planning a future with someone she loved. She no longer had to question herself and her sexuality over and over again. She was no longer jumping into bed with the dirty pretty man whore to avoid her personal uncertainties and to repress her desires. But now the uncertainty was back with a vengeance. Her parents had disowned her and her mother was lying in a hospital bed, slowly being brought back from death's door. What was going to happen to them all? Today might really be the day that she had to say goodbye to her family for good. The thought was almost too much for Callie to handle. Would she experience the same happiness and security that she'd experienced last week ever again? What did the future hold for her?

"Callie?" Callie's thoughts were interrupted by the sound of Erica's voice. Callie looked up to see Erica standing in the doorway to the bathroom, framed by the light from the fixture over the bathroom sink. Her blond hair, though matted from sleep, glowed, and the purple bruise on her cheek did nothing to take away from the beauty of the genuine smile she had pointed Callie's way. She held out her hand to Callie. "Ready?" She asked.

"Absolutely." Callie said, surprised at the strength in her voice. To Callie's ears, Erica's question hadn't been about taking a bath. She'd been sitting there, wondering what the future held for her. When she'd looked up, her future was there, holding out her hand and waiting patiently for her. She was ready for what the future held for her because she was looking right at it, and she truly loved what she saw.


	42. Observations

**A/N:** I know... more angsty stuff and not enough fluff. I'm working towards the fluff. Soon... There will be fluff soon.

* * *

Despite doctor's orders, Erica had insisted on driving the two of them back to the hospital that morning. Erica had been figuring that Callie may not be in a state to drive them home later that day and it would just be better if she drove the two of them. They made their way to the intensive care unit and Erica spoke to the nurse while Callie went over to sit with her mother. Visiting hours were a long way off, so Callie didn't have to worry about her father for now. Fleetingly, Callie wondered where her father had stayed last night, and how he was getting to and from the hospital. She knew that his first night in Seattle he'd spent in a holding cell, which could not have been the most comfortable of accommodations. She didn't think that he'd be the type of person to sleep in the hospital waiting room, and she figured he had a rental car somewhere. She briefly wondered if she called the Archfield, if they'd let her know if he was checked in there. After that, she tried to force herself to think of other things, but she really couldn't. She tried to tell herself that her father's well-being was no longer any of her concern, but she found herself worrying about him none-the-less. It wasn't until Erica came over with a chair from the nurses station and sat next to her that she could think about something else. Erica leaned in close to her and Callie inhaled the sweet scent of her soap again. It was amazing- the two of them had bathed together and used the same soap this morning, but Callie was sure that she didn't smell nearly as wonderful as Erica did at that moment. She inhaled again as Erica started to speak.

"I spoke to the nurse. They lowered the anesthetic about an hour ago. In a little while, they'll lower it again. For the past hour, your mother has been completely stable. They'll start testing her reflexes after the anesthetic is lowered again. Right now, she looks to be on track for extubation. But keep in mind Callie that just because the sedation wears off well, she may not be a candidate for extubation right away. We have to monitor her blood oxygen levels and watch for arrhythmia too."

"Okay." Callie whispered, taking Erica's hand in her own.

"I know that now that we're here, you want to spend every minute with your mom, but nothing is going to happen in the next few hours. Let's go down to the cafeteria and get some breakfast. We can come up here and sit after we've put something in our stomachs."

"Um," Callie hesitated, looking from Erica to her mother. Her mother didn't look any less sedated than she had been for the past two days, so it would probably be okay to go down and eat. Probably.

Understanding Callie's unease, Erica showed Callie her pager. "I told the nurse to page me immediately if there was any change whatsoever in her status."

"You're off duty, Erica. You shouldn't even have that thing here with you!" Callie was upset. Erica was supposed to be recuperating from her concussion but all she'd been doing for the past two days was monitoring her mother. Erica didn't realize that Callie knew about Erica's calls to the hospital at all hours of the day and night to check up on her mother and to make sure Cristina was following protocol. She was touched by it, but really wanted Erica to relax and get better. Her mother hadn't shown any indication that she would have extended the same courtesy to Erica when they'd met a few days before.

"The only page I'm expecting today is the page when they tell me they're going to extubate your mother. I'm not working. I'm caring for my future mother-in-law."

Callie smiled at the reference and all that it implied. "I guess that I'm lucky that I'll never get to know my mother-in-law. They're supposedly nothing but trouble, and my mother seems to have proven that quite well, hasn't she? Although I also have to admit that having Louise O'Malley as a mother-in-law was actually quite nice. I genuinely liked her."

"I did too. I operated on George's father, remember? They were a nice family, even if George turned out to be a cheating bastard. Maybe you can ask her to be your mother-in-law in place of my own mother, when the time comes." Erica said with a laugh. "Now, how about some wholesome, nutritious, and utterly tasteless hospital food for breakfast?"

"Okay." Callie said, getting up and walking with Erica back out of the ward.. "You know what?" She asked as they stepped on to the elevator down to the cafeteria.

"What?" Erica asked.

"Even hospital food tastes better when you're there to share it with me." Callie said, grinning sheepishly at her cheesey pun.

"Ha! Thanks, Torres. But rest assured that the food I cook for you personally will taste better than anything you've ever eaten before. With or without me."

"If last night was any indication, I'm sure it will." Callie was able to plant a kiss on Erica's lips just before the doors to the elevator opened. They walked, arms around each other's backs, towards the cafeteria. They were still walking that way when they got on line to buy their food. Neither woman felt the burning glare of Jesus Torres, who sat a few tables away, mulling over his now-cold cup of coffee.

The two were still oblivious to Callie's father as they carried their trays to a table by the window, where they were able to look out at the surprisingly clear day that was just getting started. They took their time eating, chatting happily as they ate. Their laughter would often carry across the room to Callie's father, who sat and studied them carefully. Watching them interact, he had to admit to himself that right now, they appeared to be nothing more than close friends. Close friends that were extraordinarily happy, he hated to admit. Calliope did appear to be happy. He could see that she was glowing. There was a confidence showing through her smile that he hadn't seen in his daughter in years. She was smiling and animated, just like the little girl he'd raised. Jesus did not understand this at all. Didn't Callie realize what she was doing? How could she be so happy when this was just so wrong?

He continued to watch as George O'Malley stopped by their table. He was surprised at Callie's reaction to seeing him- she'd actually smiled at him and invited him to sit down at the table. It was then that Jesus knew his daughter must have lost her mind, because she was inviting the man that cheated on her to sit down at her table. George looked vaguely uncomfortable until the blond doctor that had bailed him out of jail yesterday said something, and they all laughed again. George stayed very briefly with them before he went up to get his own breakfast, hugging both of them before he left. Jesus almost spat out the coffee he had in his mouth. Everyone in this hospital must be insane. Calliope did not just hug her cheating ex-husband. His eyes must be playing tricks on him. And that blond woman- what was her name? Erica- did not just hug him too. Jesus forced himself to stop thinking of all the freakish sexual acts the three of them must be performing together to be so touchy-feely in public. Little did Jesus know that he was sitting at the very table where Callie and Erica had teased Mark about sapphic salads and threesomes just a few short weeks before. Jesus did not see George again after that, so he figured that he must have taken his food elsewhere, perhaps to escape some of the insanity that seemed to flow in abundance in this cafeteria and throughout the rest of this godforsaken hospital.

Jesus continued to sip his cold coffee and watch his daughter from across the room for the next half hour. He had just started to calm down again when, to his utter disgust, the blond doctor leaned over and kissed his daughter on the lips. It was brief, but it still happened. Jesus was just about to storm across the room and physically pull the two of them apart when the sandy-haired doctor who had encouraged them all to go into the lounge on Tuesday arrived, carrying his own tray of food. He sat down at the table and looked at the blond doctor's cheek, examining the purple bruise that Jesus was just a little too proud of putting there. He continued to gently poke, prod and rub a bit, to the obvious discomfort of the blond doctor before he returned his attention to his food. Jesus was utterly amazed at the sandy-haired doctor's lack of a reaction to the kiss he'd just interrupted. Was that doctor blind? How could he practice medicine if he could not see?

The musings and observations of Jesus Torres were interrupted when a tall, black doctor with a graying beard stepped into his field of view and sat himself down at his table, uninvited. Jesus made little effort to hid his annoyance.

"Yes?" He snapped.

"Mr. Torres, I'm Richard Webber. I'm the chief of surgery at Seattle Grace." Richard said. "I resuscitated your wife on Tuesday after you knocked out my cardio-thoracic specialist." Richard said when nothing further appeared to be forthcoming from Callie's father.

"And what do you want?"

"I'd like to talk to you about your daughter." Richard said, ignoring the venomous look he was receiving from Callie's father.

"My daughter is none of your business, doctor."

"Ah, but she is. You see, Callie's is one of the many fine surgeons who report to me. I am her boss, Mr. Torres. So your daughter is my business. Not only that, but I happen to like your daughter a great deal and it upsets me to see her so hurt and scared. Frankly, I am quite concerned about her right now. You see, she's a dedicated, hard-working resident who is going to make a fine orthopedic attending one day. She's truly one of the most talented residents in her year. She's one of the few who are permitted to perform surgeries unsupervised and she has an amazing track record. She's well-liked by the staff here and she is respected among her peers. I'm proud of her Mr. Torres, and you should be too."

"This from the man who fired her as Chief Resident." Mr. Torres replied sarcastically.

"Callie wasn't ready for that kind of responsibility. She's a fine surgeon but she's not an administrator. I believe that Callie is much happier performing surgeries than doing paperwork and supervising her peers. I am concerned about her though, because of all that has gone on here over the past several days. I'd like to discuss that with you." Richard said, choosing his words carefully.

"There really isn't anything to discuss. My daughter and her sexual perversions are none of your business."

"Your daughter's relationship with Erica Hahn is none of my business. I do admit that. However I will say this- your daughter was crushed when she got divorced and she was humiliated when she was removed from the Chief Resident position. Her personal and professional lives suffered tremendously, no thanks to the degradation and shame she suffered at your hands after she told you her divorce was final. The woman that you see sitting with her now saved her from wallowing in a depression that could have cost your daughter her career and maybe even more than that. Erica Hahn has done nothing but encourage your daughter to be the best person that she can be, professionally and personally. You've sat here for quite a while observing them- I've been watching you myself- and I know that you see how well they interact with one another. Perhaps their relationship is a little unusual to people of our age to understand or accept, but they're happy. And when they're happy, my patients are happy. And when my patients are happy, the hospital board is happy. When the hospital board is happy, then I'm happy. Do you see where I'm going with this?"

"I do, but I don't much care," was Jesus' snide reply.

"Well, perhaps then you care about your wife. Because what's going to happen if you don't start to care is that I'm going to have you barred from the hospital grounds. I can't force you to make amends with your daughter but I can keep you from hurting her again while she's here. And she will be permitted to visit with her mother as often as she pleases. A week from now, she is going to return to work. She needs to be her professional self while she's here, and she cannot have you here to distract her. The situation with her mother is distraction enough as it is. So for your sake, your daughter's sake, and for the sake of the patients that she interacts with, I suggest you start to care again."

"Look at her. Do you not see what is so wrong with the situation she has put herself in?"

"Personally, I don't think there's anything wrong with it, Mr. Torres. I see a happy, well-adjusted orthopedic surgeon who is currently scared blind for her mother, desperate to get her father back into her life, and head over heels in love."

"But think about what she is doing to herself, her reputation and her family!"

"I know what her professional reputation is here. Her relationship with Erica Hahn hasn't hurt it one bit. If anything, she's gained respect for taming the cardio-thoracic shrew. And as for what is happening in her family, that's not something she can change. It's up to you to change that, Mr. Torres. You and your wife marched unannounced into my hospital on Tuesday and wreaked havoc on your daughter's life. She didn't do anything wrong. Not in my eyes, not in the eyes of the hospital and not in the eyes of the friends she has here. Think about what is going on between you and your daughter and do the right thing, before you lose her forever." Richard stood up, about to leave, when a thought suddenly came to him. "Did it ever occur to you, that if so many people agree with and support your daughter and her relationship with Erica, that it might be you that is in the wrong? No one here has given her a problem with it. They've accepted it and have gone on with their daily lives. Why is it that your entire life went on hold? Why is it that you are the only one who doesn't accept it? Think about that while you wait for the ICU visiting hours to start." Richard said as he walked away.

Jesus turned his attention back to the table where Callie had been sitting, intending to continue his brooding. He was surprised to find it vacant. Looking around the cafeteria, he didn't see Callie or Erica. Richard's words about losing Callie forever rang over and over in his head as he stared at the table she had just occupied.


	43. The Obeserved

**A/N:** I don't have much to write here for an author's note today. Sorry. :) I hope you like this next installment. I've got more coming, and things are going to pick up again soon.

* * *

Breakfast that morning had actually been fun for a while. The food sucked, as they both knew it would, but the company was great and for the first time since walking into the hospital that morning, Callie found herself relaxing. For the past two days, Callie had nearly forgotten what fun was, but breakfast that morning had been nothing short of hilarious. First, when they walked with their food to a table near the window, they had walked right past Nurse Lucy, who had been grabbing a cup of coffee as she came off the night shift. She had looked no less eerie in daylight as she did in the dimly lit halls during the graveyard shift. Erica had leaned in to Callie and whispered "Thank goodness _she_ doesn't visit me in my dreams like you do, Callie". And the two of them laughed hard at the thought.

As they sat there eating and conversing, George came over. Callie hadn't seen him since he had been giving her status updates on her mother on Tuesday. She surprised herself by inviting him to sit down to join them and she thanked him for everything he had done on Tuesday. Even Erica raised her eyebrows at the gesture, but noticing Callie's smile, she let it go. Secretly, Erica wished she could learn to forgive the same way Callie seemed to be able to forgive. She'd forgiven George for breaking her heart, and she'd forgiven Cristina for nearly ruining her career. Erica had spent so much of her time trying not to feel anything that she simply didn't know how to forgive those who succeeded in hurting her. Forgiveness was a skill that she'd have to learn after she learned how to love and live and have fun again. It was never high on her list of priorities, and she was somewhat surprised to realize that maybe now it should be.

George's voice interrupted her thoughts. "Uh, How are you feeling, Dr. Hahn?"

Erica could see how uncomfortable he was. She knew that she should feel badly, that he should be more comfortable around her considering that she'd operated on his father, but in all honesty, Erica didn't really care very much who she made feel uncomfortable. She was Erica Hahn for crying out loud, and she knew that she was always going to be domineering and confident, no matter what positive changes Callie brought about in her life. Other people were just going to have to get used to her. "I feel pretty good, Dr. O'Malley. Thanks."

"That's really quite a bruise. Should, um, should I get you an ice pack?"

"No Dr. O'Malley, but thanks for the offer. I don't think I need it right now."

"What about you, Callie? And how's your mom?" George asked, suddenly realizing that maybe he was getting too familiar with Dr. Hahn and he was afraid of getting in over his head.

"I'm okay George. Just taking things one day at a time. My mom is okay too. They're going to take her off of sedation today."

Looking back at Erica in amazement, George said "Wow, Dr. Hahn, I didn't know you were back to work so soon. I thought for sure that you'd have Dr. Webber take Mrs. Torres off of sedation."

"Actually, Dr. O'Malley, I'm not working. I'm just here with Callie. I'm letting Cristina Yang extubate Mrs. Torres."

Before he actually knew what he was saying and realized who he was saying it to, George sputtered the words "Holy cow, you're letting Cristina Yang do cardio? That must have been some kick in the head!" and just like that, George turned beet red and hung his head, waiting for the verbal lashing of a lifetime. How could he ask her that? How could he go there? How could he be so insensitive to the injury that Dr. Hahn had sustained, and by Callie's own father no less? He knew quite well what Dr. Hahn thought of Cristina Yang and he wanted to kick himself for being so stupid.

Erica knew she could be pissed at George for his dumb comments, but surprisingly she wasn't. "Yes, Dr. O'Malley. Hell has officially frozen over." And with that, the three of them had another good laugh. It was Callie's turn to raise an eyebrow at Erica.

George was visibly relieved. He was amazed at Dr. Hahn's reaction to what he's said. Weeks ago, he would have been on SCUT for the rest of his natural life (and maybe even for part of his own hereafter as well) for addressing Dr. Hahn that way. Not wanting to take any further chances, he excused himself to go get something to eat before heading off for rounds. "Callie, good luck with everything. I hope it all works out for you. And get well soon, Dr. Hahn." He stood up, and before he could stop himself, he gave a surprised Callie a friendly hug. Then, realizing that he couldn't _not_ hug Dr. Hahn after he'd hugged Callie, he gave her a very awkward hug as well. Then he got out of there as fast as he could.

After he left, they had another great belly laugh about his awkwardness. "Callie, how could you have married him?" Erica asked, playfully.

"He gets less awkward when you get to know him. And even though he cheated, he was a very loving husband at first. It wasn't unusual for him to hug me. What you just experienced was true George O'Malley."

"Just don't get any ideas, Torres." Erica said, a playful grin spreading across her face.

"What do you mean?" Callie asked.

"Don't think that because he hugged us both, that I'm going to have a threesome with him." Erica laughed.

"Ew. I don't want any threesomes. Especially not with George. All I want is you, and lots of you." Callie smiled.

"Good, because I don't want any threesomes either. You're all I need." Erica said as she leaned in and planted a chaste kiss on Callie's lips.

"Did somebody say something about a threesome?" Mark asked as he dropped his tray on the table next to the two women. "Because I'm pretty sure it was me who had first dibs there, and if I remember correctly, I'm supposed to bring a video camera."

The two women groaned. Leave it to Mark to bust up a perfectly wonderful kiss.

"Let me see your bruise, Dr. Hahn." Mark said, taking Erica's chin in his hand and turning her face so that her cheek faced him before Erica could push his hand away. He rubbed his thumb over the bruise and then tilted Erica's head on a slight angle before gently feeling the bones under her skin. Erica squirmed in discomfort, and when he hit a particularly sore spot, she almost choked him. Instead, she yanked her head back and growled "Watch it, Sloan! That hurts."

"Listen, you need to continue to ice that bruise, okay? Take it from me, I'm a skin expert."

"Thanks." Erica said back. "O'Malley just said the same thing."

"Well, good for him. Maybe he has a future in plastics." Mark laughed at the thought of George working in his service, and the other two joined in. "So how's your mom, Callie?" Mark asked, changing the subject.

"They're taking her off of sedation today. Hopefully she'll be all right." Callie replied.

"Good luck. And if the two of you need anything, please let me know." Callie groaned and Erica had that pinched look on her face that she used only when she didn't find something amusing. Mark scowled at the look the two women were giving him, somewhat confused.

"What?" Mark asked after seeing their faces.

"I don't think we'll need anything of a sexual nature, Dr. Sloan." Erica wisecracked.

Mark looked genuinely hurt. "No, I was being serious. If you need anything, let me know. I wasn't kidding about the whole new leaf thing."

"Thanks Mark." Callie said, grateful to have found a friend in him, especially as she had dropped him for a woman. "So, uh, what's the gossip around the hospital?" Callie asked, curious to know what people were saying about her, but afraid to find out the truth. It had been almost a week since Cristina had outed the two of them to the Chief, and Callie hadn't been at the hospital long enough since then to observe people's reactions.

"Well, believe it or not, Yang hasn't told very many people about the two of you. But of course she told Meredith, and Meredith has told just about anyone who will listen." Mark purposely avoided mentioning the photocopy he'd found on both women's lockers. Erica already knew about it and he didn't feel the need to burden Callie with the knowledge that there were bigots in their mist right now.

"Of course she has." Callie replied, and at seeing Erica's confused look, she said "Meredith is the drama queen of Seattle Grace, in case you haven't noticed that in the few months you've been here. If she's not the cause of some sort of gossip, she's usually busy spreading around someone else's."

"Oh." Was Erica's reply. She didn't involve herself in gossip at work, and she'd had little contact with Meredith Grey in the months that she'd been at the hospital. She knew of her mother's reputation but she was yet to see Meredith show potential to live up to her mother's legend.

"Grey also happens to be dating Derek again, so I've been able to have him try to keep her as quiet as possible. Stevens, however, has been having a field day with it."

"She would..." Callie muttered. "She's probably thinking that she turned me off to all men when she slept with my husband and broke up my marriage. She's probably proud of it. God, there are days when I just want to kick her ass!"

"You can want to, but I won't let you. Doing that makes you just as bad as she is." Erica said, putting her hand on Callie's arm.

"So how long has the Chief been sitting there with your dad, Cal?" Mark asked, attempting to change the subject yet again and tilting his head in the direction of Callie's father.

"Oh crap, I didn't even know that they were here! What are they doing?" Callie asked, nervous at the sight of her agitated-looking father apparently talking down to the surgical chief across the table from him.

"Want me to go over and find out?" Mark asked.

"No, I just want to get out of here. I'd like to go back up and see my mom. I just don't want to be here if my father causes a scene again. I can't go through that again."

"All right, let's go. See you around, Dr. Sloan." Erica said, picking up their tray and steering Callie towards the door.

"Hey Callie!" Mark said quickly, before they got too far away. "Good luck with everything. And feel better, Dr. Hahn. Remember- ice that bruise! That shouldn't be to hard for you, Ice Queen!" he laughed, and Erica surprised him by laughing with him. Maybe he wasn't the only one who had turned over a new leaf.


	44. Beaten at his own Game

**A/N:** I almost feel a compulsive need for Erica to tell off Callie's father. I need for her to do it often and do it succinctly. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do when she tells him off! :) In this chapter, we see her use some more made up history to put Callie's father back in his place. ;-) Oh, and a portion of this chapter was inspired by a review from "Healer". If you're out there and you're still reading this, thanks! :)

* * *

Slowly they made their way back to the ICU. Erica checked in at the nurses station and found that nothing had changed since they left. Cristina Yang arrived back in the unit as they were taking their seats next to Callie's mother's bed.

Erica and Callie had been well on their way into an intense discussion on possible conversation topics between the Chief and Callie's father when Cristina leaned over Callie's mother, placing her stethoscope over her heart and listening intently. As she was checking the leads on her mother's chest, she finally spoke, aware of the eyes on her. "I'm just doing a quick exam, and then I'll be out of here." She had noticed that both women had instinctively stopped speaking when Cristina arrived. "Callie, your mother's blood oxygen levels are good. I'm going to lower the anesthetic again now. In another hour or so, she's probably going to start stirring, but she won't reach full consciousness for another couple of hours after that. Just don't get freaked out if she starts to move a bit. It's expected." Cristina looked over at Erica for a silent confirmation and Erica nodded. "I, uh, have a lot of charting to do, so I'll be at the nurses station, but if you need anything, you can just call me over. I'm using telemetry monitoring and can see your mother's stats from where I'm sitting."

"OK Cristina." Callie said. Callie looked from Cristina to Erica, and back again. She was hoping the two of them would say something, anything, to break the ice between them. Callie wanted nothing more than for the two of them to be civil to one another.

"Dr. Hahn, if you'd like to review the chart again, it's here." Cristina said hesitantly.

"I reviewed it this morning when I came in, Dr. Yang. Everything appears to be in order. You're the physician on this case. If you're unsure of something, do not hesitate to see me. But otherwise I'm only here for Callie. I'm on medical leave and I am not going to take an active role in the care of this patient."

"Yes, Dr. Hahn." Cristina replied, happy to still have Callie's mother to care for, but secretly terrified of what was going to happen over the next few hours. When she'd been doing Burke's surgeries for him, she hadn't done much after care. He had been concentrating on that because he could easily monitor patients and perform exams with a shaking hand. Cristina was terrified to admit that she'd done nothing more than observe a single extubation in a critical care patient. She'd never done one herself, and she was too afraid to tell that to Dr. Hahn. She feared that if she did, she would risk having Dr. Hahn re-assign the patient, and Cristina just didn't want to go back to pediatrics full time just yet. It was bad enough that she had over ten pediatrics charts to sit and update. She didn't want to go back to actually dealing with those screaming, squirming brats anytime soon. She had spent the better portion of the night reviewing medical journals and textbooks to study the proper methods of a critical care extubation, and she had practiced on two different cadavers last night. She felt confident that she could do it, but she was nervous about the procedure anyway. Cristina returned to the nurses station and took the first chart off the pile. It was sticky. Everything in pediatrics was sticky. Everything from the kids themselves to the things they touched. And now that included the chart she'd just touched, and her hand. Cristina shuddered. She really, really couldn't wait to get back into cardio. She prayed Dr. Hahn would let her.

As Erica and Callie sat talking, they were interrupted again, this time by Miranda Bailey. "Ladies."

"Dr. Bailey!" Callie said, happy to see the Chief Resident. Callie really admired Miranda, and she hoped that she'd gotten back into her good graces. She had seen what taking the Chief Resident position from her had done, and although Miranda had been quite good to her since getting the position herself, Callie still felt like Miranda harbored a little bit of resentment towards her.

"Miranda." Erica said, infusing a happy tone into her voice. Miranda had said some nasty things to her when Erica had forced her out of the OR the day her son was brought in, but since then the two had gotten along quite well. She was sure things would have been different had baby Tucker not survived the surgery.

If Miranda had noticed the intertwined fingers now resting in Callie's lap, she didn't say anything. Instead, she leaned in and hugged Callie. "I heard that you were here and that your mother is set to have her intubation removed. How are you holding up?"

"I'm all right, I guess. This all feels so unreal to me... Now I know why you were staring at me so hard on Tuesday. After I came face to face with my parents, I realized that you were memorizing what I looked like so you could help put me back together again after they tore me to shreds." Callie said, forcing a laugh.

"I was worried about you, Dr. Torres." Miranda said seriously. "I take it that it wasn't a happy family reunion, and I'm sorry to hear about that."

"No, it wasn't very happy."

"But you and Dr. Hahn here? That makes you happy, doesn't it?" Miranda asked.

"Happier than I've ever been." Callie said, the conviction in her voice evident.

"Good. I knew there was something going on with the two of you... you were acting all weird... 'Really Big Trauma' and making puppy dog eyes at Dr. Hahn over the operating table..." Miranda mimicked with air quotes, shaking her head and making Callie laugh. "You let me know if you need anything, you got that?"

"I will. Thanks."

"And good luck, to the two of you. I hope you stay happy." Miranda said, the sadness of her own rocky marriage peeking through in her voice.

"Thanks, Miranda." Erica said, bestowing a rare smile on her.

Soon the two were left alone to hover over Mrs. Torres. Callie smoothed back the hair from her mother's face and adjusted her hospital gown. When she ran out of things to neaten or adjust, she sat fingering the blanket, nearly rubbing a hole in it. Callie couldn't wait for her mother to wake up, but she was terrified of what would happen then. There were too many possibilities to fathom. While Callie's thoughts wandered, Erica's cell phone vibrated. A very brief look of surprise passed over Erica's face as she looked at the number that had come up. Looking over to Callie, her face became suddenly unreadable. "I have to take this, but I promise it'll be quick, okay?"

"Is everything all right?" Callie asked, concerned.

"Yes, everything is fine. I'll be right back." And without any further explanation, Erica left the ward to take the call. She was back less than five minutes later, looking somewhat flustered. Callie didn't have the chance to hear who the call was from because visiting hours had started. She'd just asked the question about the call when Jesus Torres arrived, his clothes rumpled and his face unshaven. He'd spent the night in the waiting room, too exhausted to drive back to the hotel room he'd booked. Upon his arrival, he once again he was forced to witness the interaction his daughter had with that woman she called her girlfriend. Jesus noticed the chemistry between them, and part of him was appalled by it. The other part took a keen interest in it, as he remembered the chemistry he had felt with Maria when he first met her. When the two women realized he had arrived, they stopped talking at once and stared at him.

"Care to join us, Mr. Torres?" Erica asked sarcastically.

"No, I do not. I do however want to visit with my wife."

"Well, take a seat." Erica motioned to the chair on the other side of the bed where she'd helped the elderly woman sit the day before, making it clear that they would not be leaving during visiting hours today. She had no intention of making Callie leave her mother and possibly miss her return to consciousness.

Jesus Torres actually blushed. The elderly woman that Erica had assisted to that chair the day before had chewed him out so badly after they'd left that her chastisements still rang in his ears all these hours later. She nearly screamed at him for "child abuse" and told him that he was a terrible person to do and say what he had to his only daughter. She'd pointed at the middle-aged man in the bed that she was visiting. Jesus had taken in the sight of the man, ghostly pale and hooked up to tubes and wires, and tried not to look embarrassed as she said that she loved her son regardless of his faults. He tried not to cringe when the woman said that she was going to have to say goodbye to him, her only son and her only living relative. Jesus, she pointed out, had his daughter right there in front of him and he was tossing her away like a piece of garbage. Jesus was shocked to see the bed empty that morning, and the elderly woman nowhere to be found. Even still, he could not bring himself to sit in the seat she'd occupied the day before. Erica did not invite him to sit again, her disregard for his discomfort evident when she tried to engage Callie in conversation again, effectively tuning him out while he remained standing at the foot of the bed.

When Callie spoke, and it was to her father instead of to Erica, Erica had to try hard to hide her surprise. "Erica's told me that there have been some great breakthroughs in rehabilitation for cardiology patients who have been bed bound for long periods of time."

Jesus was shocked. Not that Callie had spoken to him... but that she was implying that Maria was going to be bed bound for a long time. For the past few days, he had stewed so much in his anger over his daughter that he had failed to really concern himself with his wife's care. "Bed bound for long periods of time?"

Erica chimed in. "Well, she's not going to be ambulatory for a while, Mr. Torres. Depending on her level of functioning when she wakes up, it may be days, weeks, or months before we can get her ambulatory again."

"Months?" He murmured.

"In your wife's case, I would lean towards several days to perhaps a week or two. But we won't know for sure until she's awake and lucid." Erica said, the physician in her shining through. "What kind of arrangements have you made for her rehabilitative care?"

"Rehabilitation?" Jesus repeated. "I-" he stopped, the realization of just how difficult this was going to be finally hitting him. "I hadn't made arrangements. Not yet."

"I'm sure that as an orthopedist, Callie knows of some great rehabilitation centers around here. Don't you, Callie?"

"I would definitely recommend the Walton Center. They've got the best track record and SGH has an affiliation with the clinic there." Callie said without hesitating.

"I'll be taking her home. She won't be staying here." Jesus said, finding his voice again.

"She won't be able to fly for quite a while. We'll keep her here as an inpatient as long as we can, but she's going to have to go to a rehab center at some point. It will be several weeks at least until she is strong enough to withstand a cross-country flight, Mr. Torres. Not to mention the threat of clots. The pressurization in the airplane alone could kill her if we're not careful. I suggest you speak with Dr. Yang about that after your wife regains consciousness. I also suggest that you consult with your daughter, not only because she needs to be involved in the decision process, but also because rehabilitation does happen to be part of her expertise."

"I'm sure that what Dr. Yang has to say will be fine."

Callie gave Erica a weak smile. She wasn't going to argue with her father while her mother was slowly regaining consciousness. She also knew that Cristina would probably consult with her as far as the rehab was concerned, so if her father wanted to go the long route to avoid a conversation with her, that was fine. She'd still be able to see to it that her mother got the best care possible, whether he knew it or not.

An uncomfortable silence enveloped them. It didn't take Erica long to grow frustrated with it. Looking over to Callie, she squeezed her hand before she began to speak. "Mr. Torres, do you think it would be possible for us to have a civil conversation? I'd like to talk to you about what's happening here. And if I'm not mistaken, so does Callie. While we have some time on our hands, perhaps we can make an effort to clear the air a bit."

Callie nodded at Erica before looking expectantly at her father. He stared at them before grunting what sounded like something affirmative, but none of them, including Jesus, knew for sure. He wasn't sure what Erica was asking of him. Erica wasn't sure what she was going to say to him. And Callie just desperately wanted to have her father back. "Mr. Torres, I know you don't agree with my relationship with your daughter."

"That's putting it mildly."

"Here's the thing. This is America. You don't get to choose who your daughter loves. But you do get to choose whether or not you want to share in her life and in her happiness. And I believe I speak well for Callie when I say that you and your wife are an integral part of her happiness. So let's work this out, because I really want Callie to be happy. Let's clear up your misconceptions about the two of us and start over again. I can understand your shock and maybe even a little bit of your anger at seeing that picture in the paper. But you never gave Callie and I the chance to tell you about us, about our relationship, so you really can't be mad at her for hiding it from you. And maybe if you listen to what we have to say, you'll change your mind about the way you feel about us."

"I doubt that. I don't think you can possibly know how shocked and angry I was. We were. My wife- do you see what you've done to her? Obviously you cannot understand. And frankly I don't like you or what you've done with my daughter so I don't think anything you could say would change my mind about how I feel."

"You're not the first person to dislike me, Mr. Torres, and I don't think I'm going out on a limb by saying that I think the only thing I've done to your daughter is to try to make her happy the same way she has made me happy. And while we're being frank, I won't hesitate to say that the attitude and the childishness you've displayed for the past several days hasn't put you too high up on the list of people I enjoy spending my time with. But I'm not looking to stir up an argument. I'm trying to get you back into your daughter's life. So tell me, why was it so shocking for you and your wife, Mr. Torres?" Erica asked. "Why are you upset over the fact that your daughter is in love?"

"Is it not obvious? My daughter is a lesbian!"

"Why is that bad? Why does it shock you?" Erica pressed.

"Because it is wrong!" Jesus was doing his best to keep his voice down but he simply couldn't fathom this woman's stupidity.

"Well, you're going to have to do better than just 'because it's wrong'. I also don't know if you could classify either one of us as lesbians, Mr. Torres. Both of us dated men before we fell in love with each other." Erica said simply, shrugging her shoulders. Her demeanor gave no indication of the sting she was about to impart upon Callie's father. She spoke slowly, almost enjoying the dramatic effect she was having. "As a matter of fact, one of the men I dated happens to be the very investigator whose services you tried to retain to check up on me." Erica waited for Callie's father to process the information she just gave him as she listened to Callie gasp next to her. "He just called me. I understand you requested a full background and criminal history on me. I'm not sure what your intentions are, but considering that his loyalties apparently lie with me, why don't I just save you the time and the money? Ask me what you want to know, and I'll tell you. I assure you that I have nothing to hide."

"I was... I needed to know if..." Jesus let his voice trail off. He had just been caught looking for blackmail material, and he knew that Erica knew it.

"Let me save you the excuses." Erica interrupted, her voice cold and her face contorting into anger. "If you're looking to try and blackmail me away from your daughter, you're going to have a very hard time finding something to use. The worst thing I've ever done was plead guilty to a speeding ticket ten years ago- a traffic infraction. I'm sure you're well aware that I could not practice medicine in Washington State with any kind of criminal record. I also generally don't associate with people who could put me in situations that I feel are less than morally ideal. My medical background? It's is spotless. I've never once been investigated for any wrongdoing, because I don't do anything wrong when it comes to medicine. And as for my personal background? Well, let's see. I graduated second in my class in medical school. I'm sure you're disappointed in that. Believe me, so am I, but I haven't let it stop me from becoming the best cardio-thoracic surgeon the country has ever seen. I've been practicing for the past eleven years. I do extensive medical research and I am regularly published in medical journals. A few years ago, I helped to develop a solution to a software glitch in pacemakers that was patented. That alone will keep me- and your daughter if she so chooses- financially comfortable for the rest of our lives. That also does not include the salary I make here at Seattle Grace, which is also more than adequate. I own my own home, and my credit is impeccable. I've never been married, I have no children. I've never been involved with a coworker before, so if you're looking for some torrid previous affair, I can save you the trouble. Anything else you want to know?"

"Ah, no." Jesus mumbled, eyes wide with shock and shoulders hunched in defeat as he walked away. He needed to breathe, he needed to process. This woman had just beaten him at his own game and he couldn't stand it.


	45. Dirty, Filthy, Disgustingly Rich

**A/N:** Thanks for all of the great reviews! :)

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Erica turned and looked at Callie after her father had stalked off. Callie had her hand over her chest and her eyes were wide open. She was trying to say something to Erica, but the words wouldn't come out.

"I don't normally talk about myself like that, Callie." Erica said quietly, scared of the plethora of information she'd just dumped on Callie and what Callie's reaction was going to be.

Like her father, Callie needed to process this information too. "So you're... um, you're..."

"Rich." Erica said, a small smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. "Dirty, filthy, disgustingly rich. You're not the only one with money to burn, Torres."

Suddenly Erica's downplay of household expenses over the weekend made sense. No wonder she didn't have a house payment. No wonder she'd been able to buy a brand new convertible without batting an eyelash. No wonder why she had kept promising to take care of Callie. "But you don't- I mean, you're not..." Callie still wasn't able to use her words, despite her effort.

"I don't flaunt it, Callie. I'm embarrassed by it and I hate talking about money. Before you came along, my entire life revolved around medicine. When I wasn't doing surgery, I was doing research. I'm constantly approached for new studies and I have pharmaceutical companies throwing money at me to do clinical trials with them. These things... they pay really well, but I really didn't get into it for the money. It was just a nice side effect of the work that I did. I didn't come from money and that makes me not like to toss it around as if I don't need it. I may not be an heiress, but I'm pretty much set for life as long as I don't do anything stupid. And if you'll let me, I'll take care of you, too."

"Why? Why didn't you tell me?" Callie stuttered, embarrassed that she hadn't known any of this about her best friend.

"Well, I don't like to talk about it. It's not that important to me. And it never really came up, Callie. I found out via the Seattle Grace grapevine that you're an heiress before you ever told me about it... I don't think either of us likes to discuss these things because it is intimidating and it usually puts the kabash on a friendship when one of those friends gets intimidated."

"It does alienate people. I know that from experience. But at least you earned your money. What I have, I received as part of a trust fund. I hate being on par with Paris Hilton. I wish I was able to say that I made my fortune by working for it, the way you have." Callie paused, looking down and shaking her head. "And the investigator?" Callie asked. "What's up with him? And how long ago did you date him?" Callie was afraid that she'd broken up a love affair that Erica hadn't even bothered to tell her was in progress. She'd been so busy with Mark that it never even occurred to her that Erica could have been casually dating someone too.

Sensing Callie's agitation, Erica shook her head gently before she answered. "He was here in Seattle for a conference a few years ago. He was involved in a minor car accident while he were here, and since he had pre-existing heart problems, EMS brought him to the emergency room as a precaution. I did a rudimentary exam and sent him on his way. Two days later I was at an awards ceremony at the same hotel where his investigator's conference was being held. I bumped into him in the lobby. It turns out he was the keynote speaker at his conference the same way I was the guest of honor at my ceremony. He asked me to go out for drinks, supposedly to thank me for helping him and to celebrate our mutual good fortune. Since he wasn't my patient anymore, I figured it would be nice to just go. But like every other guy I dated, he didn't see me. He saw the doctor, the surgeon, the professional in me and he was attracted to that. We went on two other dates while he was here but he quickly lost interest. Before he left, I retained him to keep tabs on my parents. He gives me a weekly update on their health and their activities. He never even mentions our dates."

"You pay him to spy on your parents?" Callie asked.

"Yeah... I know, it's weird. I've never told anyone else about that aside from Dr. Wyatt. She says it's not healthy, that I should just get in touch with my parents instead of using a proxy to fill me in on them."

"She's right, you know." Callie said.

"We'll deal with your problems first before we deal with mine, okay Torres?" Erica asked, trying to make a joke because this wasn't the time to get into her own parental issues..

"We'll deal with our problems together, Hahn. I've never heard of anyone paying an investigator to spy on their parents. But I guess in a way it's lucky for us that you do..."

"Yeah... I mean, he could have just taken your dad's money and written a report about me. But I guess he's smart enough to at least realize where his paycheck comes from. And maybe he knows just how talented I am with a scalpel."

Callie laughed lightly. "So much for a civil conversation with my dad though."

"Well, he did sort of start talking to us. It was my fault for putting an end to that. And it was probably really wrong of me to chew him out about the investigator. If the roles had been reversed, maybe I would have done the same thing. But I wouldn't have been doing it looking for blackmail material. I'd have been doing it to make sure my daughter was in good hands."

"I am in good hands, and no one needs an investigator to be able to see that." Callie said, resting her head on Erica's shoulder. "Erica, do you ever think about trying to get in touch with your parents again?"

"No, not really. I've never given it any serious thought. As unhealthy as Dr. Wyatt says it is, I enjoy being able to keep tabs on them without actually having any contact. It's hard to explain... but it sort of keeps me going. If I hear about them, and their lives, it keeps me from allowing myself to become a failure."

"You're not a failure. You never were a failure. You're amazing, Erica Hahn." Callie was surprised to see a tear trickle down Erica's cheek.

"I wish it was easy enough to just say that and believe it. But everything involving my parents makes me feel like a failure. I have to prove to myself that I'm better than they think... that I'm better than they ever were. Keeping them at arms length and making sure my life is in better order than theirs is just what keeps me going."

"You don't have to prove to me that you're better than they are. I see it already. I could see that you were better than anyone when I first laid eyes on you. When you were here to operate on George's father, I didn't even know who you were, but I could tell that you were amazing. You had such a confidence about you. Little did I know that meeting you that day was going to be the first of many times that you would amazed me." Callie paused and kissed Erica lightly on the lips before she continued. "So maybe one day I'll be the one who you say keeps you going. "

"You already do, Callie. I can't imagine my life without you now."

"That's good. Because you're stuck with me." Callie said as she wiped away the solitary tear from Erica's cheek with the pad of her thumb.

"I'm not 'stuck' with you. I thoroughly enjoy every second I spend with you. I don't ever want to be apart from you. I want you all for myself, now and forever." Erica grinned at Callie. "Callie, what do you think of when you think of the future? Am I in it with you? What's it look like?"

"Of course you're in it. I picture us very happy together. When I think of the future, I just think of you. With George, I allowed myself to make all sorts of plans, and I built up hopes and dreams for the two of us. But I realized after he cheated on me that those hopes and dreams make for a lot of pressure. I mean, I was trying to get pregnant and he was trying to find a way to end out marriage. I think part of why he ran to Izzie was because I wanted too much from our relationship too quickly. I don't want pressure for the two of us. I know that you're my future, and I can't wait to spend every day with you for the rest of my life. But how we build that future together is still a mystery to me. I want us to live each day to the fullest, and build up hopes and dreams together."

"You never told me you were trying to get pregnant when you were with George." Erica said, her tone neutral.

"We were. Well, I was. I know now that he was terrified of the prospect of becoming a father. And now that I look back, it was too fast. I wasn't ready to have kids with George."

"Do you-" Erica stopped herself. She didn't know how to ask this question without Callie taking it the wrong way, but she had to ask it. "Do you still want to have kids?"

"Do you?" Callie asked back, suddenly wary of where this conversation was going.

"I asked you first." Erica said.

"Well, yeah, I do still want to have kids. But not right away. Don't you?"

"I've never given it much thought. I never imagined myself a mother. I'm nervous around small babies and little kids usually annoy me. I mean, my own mother wasn't that great with me and her lack of patience with little kids definitely rubbed off on me. I can't imagine that I've learned any useful parenting skills from either of my parents."

"Oh." Callie said, the disappointment evident in that single syllable.

Erica reached for her and lifted Callie's chin so that they were looking eye to eye. "I didn't say I don't want kids, Callie. I just said I'd never thought about having them. You obviously want them very much, and I'd never disappoint you by telling you that I didn't want to have them with you."

"I don't want you to want kids simply because I want them. If we have kids, it's got to be because you want to have kids. Not because I want them and you want to make me happy."

Erica sighed. "That's all I want, Callie. I just want to make you happy. I'd be dishonest with you if I said that I want to be a mother or that I'd ever given serious thought to having children. What I don't want for _myself_ is to carry a baby for nine months and then go through labor. But it is something that _you_ want and I want you to have what you want. I also think it's a little early in our relationship to have to make this decision. I'm not saying that as a couple we won't ever have kids, or that we'll have them just to make you happy. All I'm saying is that it is something I never gave much thought to in the past and I don't really feel capable of making such an important decision right at this moment. What I am asking of you is that you understand where I'm coming from. I'm asking you to give me time to warm up to the idea, so someday, in the not-so-near future, I _will_ want to have kids with you. I don't know when or how many or how we'll go about having them but I promise to love them and provide for them and enjoy watching them grow up. I can't promise you more than that."

Callie was about to tell Erica that she'd basically just repeated the whole "I'll have kids with you if it makes you happy" spiel a second time but she stopped when her mother's leg moved. It was such a slow, subtle movement that she didn't think she saw it at first. Erica saw it too though, and the doctor in her kicked in. She jumped up, looking at the heart monitor and the pulse oxymetry monitor. When Erica had jumped up, Cristina came dashing over. "Is everything all right?"

"Her leg moved. It was just a little bit, but she definitely moved it." Callie replied.

"That's great Callie!" Cristina said, treating her to a brief burst of enthusiasm before her robotic doctor self took back over. Cristina used her medical hammer to check Mrs. Torres' reflexes and everyone was thrilled to see the strong response they received.

"Shouldn't be long before she wakes up, Callie." Cristina said. "You might want to talk to her, try to pull her back into consciousness. I'll be over at the nurse's station, ready for when she wakes up, okay?"

Taking a deep breath, Callie nodded at Cristina. After Cristina walked away, Callie turned back toward Erica, but Erica spoke before she could bring them back to their conversation. "Are you all right, Callie? Are you ready for her to wake up?"

'I guess I'm as ready as I'll ever be." Callie said, shrugging her shoulders. She knew she should be overjoyed that her mother would be opening her eyes soon, but she felt let down, disappointed in Erica's response about having kids. She knew it was wrong of her to be so hard on Erica- she hadn't had the easiest childhood and she could definitely understand why she'd be hesitant to have kids of her own, but at the same time, Callie truly had expected Erica to be more excited about the prospect. Her non-committal air had come as a surprise to her.

"Callie." Erica said firmly. "Look at me." When she did look at Erica, her eyes were brimming with tears and her chin was trembling. Erica pulled her into her arms and whispered to her. "I know we're not done with our conversation. I'm sorry if my feelings about kids upsets you. We'll talk about it more another time- tonight even, if you want. But for now, let's get ready to welcome your mother back into the world, before we discuss welcoming our kids into the world. All right?"

Callie sniffled and pulled away from Erica to look her in the eyes. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't even be thinking about this. I shouldn't be pressuring you either. Didn't I just say that I put too much pressure on George so early in our relationship? I did the same thing to you anyway."

"No, you didn't. Don't worry about it. Let's find something happy to talk about and let your mother wake up to happiness instead of disappointment. Disappointment, I might add, that's just a little bit premature and perhaps even unnecessary." Erica flashed Callie a smile, making it clear that she was trying to make a joke. Callie smiled back at her.

"So what do you want to talk about then?" Callie asked, leaning back in her chair and visibly relaxing.

"You. I want to talk about you, because you're what makes me happiest in life."


	46. Qualities of Erica Hahn

**A/N:** Thanks for the reviews! Keep them coming! They're seriously the only thing keeping me going on this story. ;)

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For the next few hours, they talked about anything and everything. One of the things Erica loved so much about Callie was that they never had a problem finding something to talk about. Normally reserved and content to enjoy the silence, Erica loved hearing Callie speak, and she participated in their conversations with relish. Never in her life had she felt so comfortable talking about so much with Callie. They talked about the mundane and the thrilling, the sad and the amusing, the embarrassing and the things that made them both proud. Erica had told Callie things that she'd even been afraid to share with Dr. Wyatt. Instead of being shocked or uncomfortable, Callie shared revelations of her own, and easily gave her advice and encouragement. Callie still was, first and foremost, Erica's best friend. Though they may have gone from friends to lovers, their friendship was stronger than it ever was. Watching Callie as they talked, Erica counted her blessings. She'd finally found happiness, and it had been so worth the wait.

Sitting around Callie's mother, they had talked so much that they'd completely missed lunch. When Erica mentioned getting something to eat, Callie said that she wasn't hungry. Erica knew that it wasn't true- she'd heard Callie's stomach rumble just a moment earlier. She knew that Callie was just afraid of leaving when her mother was so close to waking up. Checking her watch, Erica said she'd go down to the cafeteria and grab something for them both. She returned a little while later with a sandwich for each of them. It dawned on Erica that she hadn't even needed to ask Callie what she'd like. She already knew, just like she knew that the two of them were sick of salads at this point and needed something more substantial to hold them over until dinner time. Erica had never had a friend that she knew so much about. Each fact that she knew about Callie was like a piece of treasure to her and she locked them away in her heart for safekeeping.

They ate in comfortable silence while Callie never took her eyes off of her mother. Erica refrained from making a comment about how hungry Callie really was, seeing as how Callie had inhaled her entire sandwich before Erica had finished her fist half. She could see the nervousness building up in Callie and she knew Callie wouldn't take well to a joke right now. Callie's shoulders were hunched, her eyebrows furrowed. Without even thinking, Erica stood behind Callie and gently massaged her back and neck. She was pleased when she started to feel some of Callie's tension slip away. While she was massaging, Erica's thoughts turned to Callie's mother. She didn't know much about her, but she had seen the hesitancy and the struggle on her mother's face before she'd collapsed. Erica wondered if Callie's mother was putting on an appearance for Callie's father, or if she had truly been as angry as she'd appeared during their confrontation. For Callie's sake, Erica was hoping that Mrs. Torres hadn't forgotten what had brought her to Seattle, but that her new lease on life would give her a new perspective on her daughter's love life. Erica couldn't imagine what it would do to Callie if she had to come out to her mother again. She couldn't imagine what it would do to Mrs. Torres either, but thankfully they'd have her so drugged up that it most likely wouldn't have the same effect it did the first time around. Erica's gut was telling her that Callie's mother was going to be the key to Callie's reconciliation with her father. She hoped they'd be able to make an ally out of her.

"Callie, everything's going to be all right." Erica found herself saying, without realizing it.

"Physically, I'm confident she'll be fine. I'm scared of what she'll say to me when she wakes up though." Callie replied.

"I can't tell you what she's going to say, but I can tell you that I'll be here and I'll help you through it." Erica replied as she sat back down next to Callie.

"Promise me something, Erica?" Callie asked.

"What?"

"Promise me that if I make amends with my parents, you'll try to make amends with yours?"

Erica was surprised at Callie's request. "I can't promise you that, Callie. I only make promises that I can keep, and I just can't promise you that."

"Why not?"

"Because I haven't learned how to forgive, like you seem to be able to do so easily. I can't make amends with my parents until I can forgive them. I can't seem to forgive them because they don't seem to think that they did anything wrong. And forgive me, but I do feel _wronged_ by them."

"You were wronged. Wronged is phrasing it lightly. But it's been so long, Erica. And I know you care about them. Deep down you care about them because you constantly want to know what they are doing. How do you know that they're not changed people?"

"I don't." Erica admitted. "I'm also not the same person that I was back when we severed contact with one another. But I'm still not ready to forgive and forget. It's one of the reasons I'm in therapy. I will promise you this though... I promise to try and become a better person, so I can learn to forgive... and when I learn to do that, I will _try_ to make myself make amends with my parents."

Callie leaned over and kissed Erica's cheek. "Fair enough, I guess. But you're the best person I know. You don't have to become a _better_ person because you're already the best there is. Problem is, even the best people in the world have trouble with forgiveness when they've truly been hurt. The timing just has to be right."

Erica sighed and pushed her chair closer to Callie's. She leaned her head against Callie's shoulder and put her hand over Callie's hand, which was in turn holding her mother's hand. "I'm sorry this is so hard, Callie."

"Don't be sorry. You didn't make it hard. It's hard because it has to be. If it was easy, we wouldn't appreciate what we have together."

"You're the smartest person I know. Did you know that?"

Callie rolled her eyes, knowing that Erica associated with people far smarter than she, but she leaned closer to Erica anyway. "You're my own personal Einstein. I love you."

"I love you, too."

Callie's mother was starting to move more often and barely seconds had passed after the two women said they loved each other when Callie's mother squeezed Callie's hand. Erica looked over to the nurses' station and beckoned Cristina over. Cristina looked at the monitors and wrote something in Callie's mother's chart before she appeared at the bedside with a syringe. "Callie, we've taken her off of her anesthetic and I'm going to give her a dose of atropine-neostigmine. It will reverse the remaining effects of the anesthesia completely. Depending on how she is after she comes to, we'll extubate. Do you want to go and get your dad before I administer it? It works pretty quickly."

Callie glanced around, looking shocked. They'd been there for hours, and her father hadn't come back. She hadn't even noticed his absence. Her embarrassment showed when she spoke. "I didn't even realize he never came back. I have no idea where he is."

"He's probably down in the waiting room, Callie. Meredith said she saw him down there earlier. Do you want me to send an intern to go get him?" Cristina asked. She was about to snap her fingers for "Number one" when Callie stopped her. Callie did not believe in abusing interns like that, George immediately after their divorce notwithstanding.

"I'll just call his cell and see where he is. Can you hold off for five more minutes?"

"We can't hold off for too long, but a few more minutes will be fine. Let me know when you're ready."

Cristina walked away and Callie dialed her father's cell phone. It rang long enough for Callie to know that it had been switched on, but her call went to voicemail. She didn't leave a message. Instead she disconnected and called again. The same thing happened. "I think he's ignoring my calls." Callie said with her voice low and her eyes downcast.

Erica grunted. She was really starting to think Callie's father was a prick, for lack of a better term. She was starting to have a hard time believing the stories Callie had told her from her childhood, when her father called her things like "princess" and showered her with love and attention. The man she'd met just the other day didn't show a single shred of the man Callie had described.

Erica had been ready to try and work through their issues this morning. She'd been willing to overlook what he'd said to her and what he'd tried to do with the blackmail. She'd even planned to try the whole forgiveness thing for the facial fracture he'd given her. But now he was ignoring his daughter and Erica had reached the end of her patience. "Stay here. I'll go downstairs and see if he's there. But give me his cell phone number."

"Why?"

"Just humor me, will you?" Erica asked.

"Okay..." Callie said slowly, her suspicion showing in the tone of her voice. She rattled off his number for her and watched Erica push the buttons for the number. Her face had questions written all over it as she watched Erica enter the numbers but not connect the call.

"Hang tight, I'll be back as fast as I can." Erica said before pecked Callie on the cheek and walked away.

Walking off the elevator, Erica spotted Callie's father sitting in the waiting room. He was in a row of chairs that faced window and he appeared to be watching the cars enter and leave the parking lot. He was wearing different clothes that were not as rumpled, so she figured he'd left to go to wherever he was staying to get changed, which explained at least part of his absence. Erica glanced out the window too. The weather was still gorgeous, and part of Erica felt bad that she and Callie had to spend the rare sunny day cooped up in the ICU. She knew that if none of this had happened, the two of them would have worked an early shift today and probably would have cruised down the coast in her convertible that evening. Erica resented the complications that Callie's parents had thrown into their lives. She was still boiling with that resentment when she hit the "Send" button on her phone. She waited until she heard Jesus' phone ringing across the room before she started walking towards him.

She watched as he pulled the phone out of his pants pocket and looked at the number on the display before he picked it up this time. "Jesus Torres." The greeting was gruff and it made Erica cringe. Apparently Jesus Torres wasn't nice to anybody anymore, his own daughter included. She knew the only reason he'd picked up the phone this time was because he didn't recognize the number. If he was even minimally intelligent, he'd have realized that Erica's area code was the same as Callie's.

"Well, now that we've established that your phone still works and is in your possession..." Erica said into the mouthpiece of her phone as she arrived in front of Callie's father. She flipped her phone closed and finished her sentence. "Your daughter has been trying to reach you."

"She's not my daughter anymore."

"Oh give it up, will you? This whole shocked and angry daddy thing is getting old fast. Get over it. So your daughter's dating a woman. People have done worse things in life. You included."

"You have a lot of nerve-"

Erica didn't let him finish. "Yes, I do have a lot of nerve. It's one of the many qualities of Erica Hahn. Now shut up and get your ass up to the ICU. Your wife is about to wake up."


	47. Let's Go

**A/N:** Thanks for all of the reviews! In the near future, I've got chapters with fluff and smut! So keep reading! I'll post them soon! :) Thanks for hanging in there with me.

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Callie was surprised to see Erica arrive with her father so quickly. She was also surprised to see that they weren't arguing. That was a good sign. They weren't speaking with they arrived either, though, and Callie wondered just how awkward the elevator ride up had been for the two of them. She said a silent thank you that Erica would go to such lengths for her so early into their relationship. Had this been George, he'd have probably long since disappeared, probably into a supply closet with Izzie Stevens.

Erica took the seat next to Callie and held her hand while Callie signaled over to Cristina. Jesus sat himself on the other side of his wife and took her other hand. Cristina arrived and glanced over at Callie's father. "Mr. Torres, I am going to administer a dose of medication that will reverse the effects of the anesthetic we've been giving to your wife. She is going to wake up, and she may choke on the tube that is in her throat. We're prepared for that; it's normal for people waking up out of a coma to have that happen. Don't be afraid if she does choke. We'll take care of her. I just want you to be ready for it if it does happen, so that you're not scared by it."

"Choke?" Jesus asked simply, his eyes showing his fear for the first time.

"When she wakes up, her body's natural response is going to be to evacuate the tube from her throat and to breathe on its own. This causes most patients to choke on their intubations, though they theoretically can't suffocate because the tube continues to breathe for them."

Jesus merely nodded, his attention returning to his wife. Cristina looked over to Callie and Callie nodded at her, thankful that Erica had done so much to prepare her this morning. Cristina then looked over to Erica, and she knew, in that instant, that Erica could sense just how nervous she was about this procedure. As Cristina lifted the syringe towards the port on the IV, Erica spoke. "Dr. Yang, are _you_ ready for this?" There was no malice in Erica's voice. It wasn't the usual tone that Erica used with Cristina, but Cristina cringed inwardly anyway. Truth be told, she wasn't ready for this, and she hated that Dr. Hahn could sense it. She'd prepared, studied, practiced and watched the procedure done enough times to know it inside and out. But doing this for the first time on her former roommate's mother was terrifying for her. Cristina now understood why doctors were not allowed to perform surgeries on their loved ones. The emotions got in the way; the fears and concerns for their loved ones clouding over coherent thought and common sense. Cristina wanted to kick herself because she was Cristina Yang and she didn't care about anyone. Surgery- cardio-thoracic surgery- was her life; it was the only thing she cared about. Up until recently, that is. Now she was scared for Callie, even though Callie had every right to hate her right now, and as much as she hated to admit it to herself, she felt bad for Dr. Hahn, constantly being berated by Callie's angry father.

Cristina looked over to Erica before she inserted the syringe. "Yes, Dr. Hahn."

"Perhaps then, you'd like to tell me briefly the procedure for extubation prior to administering the medication." Erica said. She could see the anxiety in Yang's face and she wasn't going to allow her to fumble her way through a procedure if she wasn't sure of what she was doing. It didn't matter that it was Callie's mother- Erica wouldn't allow it on any patient at any time.

"She's the doctor here, what the hell do you think you're doing?" Jesus growled at Erica.

"She's my attending physician, Mr. Torres. It's her _job_ to teach me and to make sure that I am prepared for whatever procedures I administer. She has every right to ask me that." Cristina said crisply as she looked back at Callie's father. Cristina was actually grateful for a second to gather her thoughts and to calm herself down. She was confident in herself- she knew that she was as prepared as possible for this procedure and she wasn't afraid so much of starting it. What was scared her more than anything was that this was truly a life or death situation, and this wasn't just any patient. It was her mentor's girlfriend's mother. Cristina feared that if Callie's mother didn't pull through, regardless of the reason why, Dr. Hahn would never let her on her service ever again. "You'd be lucky to have her caring for your wife, Mr. Torres, so don't be so quick to brush aside her inquiries and instructions to me."

Callie grinned a little because Cristina had just stuck up for Erica while simultaneously throwing it in her face that it was Erica's job to teach her. She knew that Erica wouldn't be pleased with the whole teaching reference (or the ass kissing, for that matter), but Callie knew that Erica was smart enough not to say anything right now. As much as Callie loved Erica, she knew that Erica was going to have to get over this whole Cristina issue and she felt, for a brief second, proud of Cristina for standing her ground to both her father and to Erica just now. Despite the score for Cristina, Callie had a feeling that she'd hear all about this little moment at home tonight, and it wasn't going to be pretty.

The irony of Cristina's derogatory defense hadn't been lost on Erica, either, but for Callie's sake, she didn't bring it up. There'd be time for that later. "And so the procedure is..." Erica started again, her voice surprisingly patient.

Cristina was able to recite the procedure to Erica without hesitation. And when Erica quizzed her on possible complications, she was immediately able to recite protocol for them, too. Satisfied with Cristina's preparation, Erica nodded back towards the still-slumbering Mrs. Torres. "You may proceed, Dr. Yang."

Cristina once again lifted the syringe to the port on the intravenous line and this time she depressed the plunger. Callie watched as the medication entered the tube, and headed towards the needle in her mother's vein. The medication must have burned a bit, because Mrs. Torres groaned faintly in her sleep and her hand shook slightly. Cristina backed away, placing the syringe in a red disposal bin and pushing a small cart over. Callie and Erica recognized it as a crash cart; the defibrillator perched within easy reach, just in case Mrs. Torres crashed again.

"Talk to her, Callie. Bring her around; let her know that we're all here, waiting for her to wake up." Erica encouraged, distracting Callie from the waiting crash cart.

"Mom?" Callie asked softly, brushing her hand over her mother's forehead and sliding her hand down to place her palm against her mother's cheek. "Can you hear me? It's time to wake up. Can you open your eyes for me?"

Callie's mother responded physically to Callie's touch by turning her head towards Callie's palm as Callie touched her face, but did not open her eyes. Her breathing was still regular, but she was still relying on the respirator for assistance.

"Mija, wake up, sweetheart. Can you hear me?" Callie's father asked, squeezing his wife's hand gently. Callie's mother squeezed his hand back.

"Mommy?" Callie said again, louder this time and leaning her face closer to her mother's, as if her mother had suddenly become hard of hearing and that was why she wasn't waking up.

Erica, meanwhile was busy studying the monitors over the bed. Cristina had administered the medication and almost instantly the heart monitor had shown a stark increase in heart rate. While it was normal, in the first few minutes after administering the medication, for the patient's heart rate to spike, Erica was growing concerned. Maria Torres' heart rate was way too high right now. If the patient's heart rate went up too high for too long, there was a strong chance for the patient to crash. Looking over at Cristina Yang, Erica saw that Cristina was aware of the issue too and now she wasn't hiding her fear as well as she had been. "Give it a few more seconds, Yang. More than likely, it'll even out again." She said quietly, referring to the heart rate they were both watching behind the backs of Callie and her father.

Cristina nodded. At the sound of a loud, rasping gasp, the two doctors immediately focused their attention on the patient. But it wasn't the patient who had gasped. It was Callie, reacting to her mother opening her eyes.

"Mom?" Callie cried, tears streaming down her face. "Mom? Can you hear me? Do you see me?"

Callie's mother's glance was focused solely on Callie's father. He sat there, grasping her hand to his mouth, placing soft kisses on her fingers while he cried too. Callie looked from her mother to her father and back to her mother again.

"Mommy?" Callie was practically whimpering. Was her mother ignoring her? Did she remember everything that had happened a few days before and was she pretending like Callie wasn't there? Callie squeezed her mother's hand tighter, trying to force some sort of a reaction out of her. Finally, after what was only a few seconds but what felt like a precious eternity to everyone, Callie's mother looked over at Callie, and a smile lit up her eyes. She squeezed Callie's hand before she drifted back off into a light sleep, the effort to open her eyes and squeeze the hands of her daughter and husband already too much for her.

In the background, Cristina breathed a quiet sigh of relief as the monitors showed the heart rate had evened out.

Erica looked over the monitors again and then placed the pulse-oxymetry clip on Mrs. Torres' index finger. "Heart rate has stabilized and blood oxygen is ideal, Dr. Yang."

"Yes Dr. Hahn." Cristina said, swallowing hard. Dr. Hahn had just told her, without actually saying so, that it was time to extubate Callie's mother. Turning slightly, Cristina signaled over to one of the nurses behind the desk. She walked away, grabbed some gloves and supplies, and then returned to the bedside. "Mr. Torres, Callie, would you please step outside for a moment? I need to extubate the patient. I know you'd both like to be here, but I would prefer it if you would please step away for this. I promise to call you both back in as soon as the tube is out."

"Like hell I'm leaving, Cristina." Callie muttered, holding tighter to her mother's hand.

"I'm not leaving if she's not leaving." Jesus replied, the arrogance in his voice making him sound like a spoiled four-year-old.

"Please, this isn't a pleasant sight to behold and we haven't got much time to argue over it. There's a specific window of time that we have to do this in. Please go stand outside the ward. It will be over in just a few minutes."

Callie knew that Cristina was right, that it would be better not to witness what was about to be done to her mother. But she couldn't bring herself to walk away. She wanted to be there. She understood the medicine of it all and she knew that as traumatic as it would look, she'd be able to handle it. She wasn't sure about her father, though. And she feared that if her father thought that they were hurting her mother, that he may become violent again. "All right." Callie sighed. Looking at her father and pointing towards the door, she said "Let's go."


	48. We're Good

**A/N:** A lot of you mentioned that you liked the interaction between Cristina and Erica in the last chapter. That's good, because you're going to see a little more of it in this chapter. Let me know what you think!

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Erica was surprised that Callie didn't put up more of a fight to stay, but she was also relieved that Callie wouldn't witness what would happen next. She placed a peck on Callie's cheek and squeezed her arm gently to reassure her before she walked out. She pointedly ignored the face that Jesus made at her before turning her attention over to Cristina Yang. Grabbing a pair of gloves off of the cart the nurse had pushed over, Erica stood to the side to observe and assist if needed in the extubation of Callie's mother. Cristina leaned in and gently woke Mrs. Torres again. Speaking slowly, she explained to Mrs. Torres what they were about to do. Mrs. Torres had fallen back to sleep before Cristina had even finished speaking. Looking over towards Dr. Hahn, Cristina picked up the supplies she'd need and leaned over Mrs. Torres. Her usually steady hands shook just once, before Cristina let herself fall into her robotic-like state. She stopped and pictured the procedure once, quickly, in her head before she started it in reality.

The movement of the tube in her mouth caused Maria Torres to wake again, and she was suddenly aware of its presence in her throat. Her automatic response was to try and spit the tube out, but it was planted so deeply in her throat that spitting it out was impossible. Involuntarily, she started to gag as the feeling of the tube in her throat started to trip her gag reflex.

"Easy, Mrs. Torres! This will be over in just a second. The tube is still breathing for you, you're not going to choke, okay? We're taking the tube out, but don't try to force it out! I need you to breathe slowly and deeply while we do this." Cristina said as she heard the noise coming from the patient's throat. She removed the tape holding the tube in place and raised the oxygen output to one hundred percent. She signaled to the nurse to have the suction ready and she double checked her supplies before she began. Then she started lifting the tube out.

"Watch the cords, Yang." Erica said from somewhere over Cristina's shoulder. "No, stop. Straighten it out. You have to come straight up with it when she exhales, otherwise you'll injure her."

Cristina stopped and took a deep breath before she began again. "Another deep breath please, Mrs. Torres."

Again she thought she was doing fine until Erica spoke again from behind her. "Remember to hyperventilate her- she needs continuous oxygen flow." After another second Erica spoke to the assisting nurse: "Give her more suction, nurse- wait for the next deep breath, Cristina. Mrs. Torres, you have to keep taking deep breaths, please."

The tube had started to move again and Cristina knew she had to get it out quickly. This time she pulled it out in one fluid motion after asking Mrs. Torres to try to cough. It came out cleanly. Cristina as well as Mrs. Torres both breathed a sigh of relief. Cristina fitted an oxygen mask over Mrs. Torres' mouth and nose and watched the monitors on the side of the bed. "How is your breathing?" Cristina asked.

"Okay." Mrs. Torres rasped.

"If you start to have trouble breathing, you need to signal us. Callie and your husband will be here to help you but after they leave, you can press this button," Cristina handed the call button to Mrs. Torres, "and we'll come over immediately. If everything goes well tonight, we'll move you to a private room tomorrow morning." Glancing at the monitors once more and satisfied that Mrs. Torres was still stable, Cristina proceeded to take off her gloves and start to push the cart away, back towards the nurses' station.

"Not bad, for your first extubation, Dr. Yang." Erica said as Cristina started to walk away.

Cristina turned and looked back at Dr. Hahn. How had she known that she hadn't done this before? Had it been that obvious? "I tried to prepare-" Cristina started to explain but Erica held up a hand to stop her.

"I wasn't being sarcastic. Your first extubation is one of the most frightening procedures you can do outside of an operating room. Dr. Webber told me that you'd been practicing it for days. Nice job."

"Um, thanks?" Cristina said; her phrase more of a question than a statement. Where had that come from? Erica Hahn had just told her she'd done a nice job. For a moment Cristina felt like she'd been transported to another dimension. And then another question hit her: How the hell did the Chief know that she'd been practicing the procedure and how had it gotten back to Dr. Hahn?

"One more thing though, Dr. Yang." Erica said as she followed Cristina as she pushed the cart back to the nurses' station.

"Yes, Dr. Hahn?" Cristina asked.

"The next time you're unsure of a procedure, you are to run it by me first. Your practice and preparation were admirable, but I do not want you to risk the life of a patient because you're too damn afraid to ask for help."

"Respectfully, Dr. Hahn, you make that a bit difficult. I can't approach you without getting snapped at. Every time I have a question, you look at it as if I'm trying to suck up to you. All I want to do is learn to be a cardio-thoracic surgeon. A good cardio-thoracic surgeon. I can't do that if you don't teach me, and I still do not understand why you won't teach me. I mean, I know what I did last week was absolutely the worst thing I could have done, and that's a good reason for not teaching me. But you were like this towards me long before last week. So what is it that prevents you from teaching me?"

Erica sighed. It killed her to admit it, but Cristina Yang had a point. Before she could stop herself, Erica's explanation was out of her mouth. "Honestly Yang, it has everything to do with Preston Burke and almost nothing to do with you."

"Burke? You treat me this way because I was engaged to Burke? I really meant it when I said I wasn't sleeping with him to get in on his surgeries. We fell in love. We were going to get married. He left me. I-" Cristina swallowed hard. "I loved him. I loved him and he left me."

Erica nodded. Cristina had just laid herself bare and Erica couldn't find the strength to tell her that it wasn't so much because Cristina had been sleeping with Burke that she wouldn't teach her. She lacked the courage to tell Cristina that Burke had cost Erica her family and that Cristina's association with him at all was what caused Erica to avoid any interaction with her. "Just, uh, just make sure you see me when you've got questions. I'll do better to make myself more, um, approachable."

"I'm sorry for the things I said and did, Dr. Hahn. Not just last week. I mean, I'm sorry for that too. More sorry for that than anything else. In addition to being a crazy bitch, I also almost cost you and Callie your careers and my own too. I also lost a friend. I don't have words that I can use to describe just how sorry I am and just how much I wish I could go back and undo what I did. But I'm also sorry for trying to kiss up to you, and I'm sorry that I approached you in front of Dr. Montgomery while she was here." Cristina was looking at the floor. She couldn't bring herself to look at Dr. Hahn while she apologized. It wasn't that she didn't mean what she was saying- it was more because she feared the look on Dr. Hahn's face.

"Look at me, Dr. Yang." Erica said.

Slowly, Cristina picked her head up and looked at Dr. Hahn. "I accept your apology, but on a couple of conditions." Cristina just nodded. She was afraid of saying anything at all. "First of all, the ass kissing must stop. I hate ass kissing. Unless someone is clinically dead and in need of resuscitation, I do not want you waiting for me at the elevators when I come in to the hospital every morning. Leave my paperwork, my charts, my films, all of it, leave it alone. Don't hover outside of my office and don't try to jump in on every one of my surgeries." Erica stopped and took a deep breath before she continued. "Next, I want you to make things right with Callie again. She's your friend and she's missed you terribly over the past week. I know that if you talk to her, you can have your friend back. I want to see Callie happy, so I want you to try being her friend again. It's been a shitty week for her so far, she could use someone to talk to. Aside from me, that is."

"All right, I can do that." Cristina said, thinking Erica was finished.

"Just one more condition, Dr. Yang."

"Oh, okay..." Cristina said, shrugging her shoulders.

Erica pushed her hand through her hair and exhaled loudly. This is where the life lessons that Callie had been teaching her without even realizing it were coming in to play. She wasn't sure if she could do this, at least not in a coherent, sincere way. Erica felt like she wasn't ready. She felt like Yang must have felt before her first extubation procedure tonight. She didn't have enough practice with these things. "The last condition for me to accept your apology..." Erica trailed off.

"Yes, Dr. Hahn?" Cristina said, a faint note of irritation in her voice. What more did this woman want from her? Did she honestly think she could just present her with a list of demands?

"The last condition for me to accept your apology... is for you to accept mine. I'm sorry I didn't teach you and I'm sorry I treated you so poorly. I'm, uh, I'm going to do a better job."

It was impossible for Cristina to conceal her utter astonishment. Her mouth hung open and her eyes were so wide that she didn't think she could ever close them again. Not only was Cristina witness to Dr. Hahn's awkwardness and unsurity, but _the _Attila the Hahn had just apologized to her. No one was holding a gun to her head, and she wasn't trying to put on a show in front of the Chief. She spontaneously apologized. It wasn't the most eloquent apology someone could hope for, but it was a genuine "I'm sorry" none-the-less.

"Okay?" Erica asked when Cristina hadn't spoken- or exhaled- in the last few seconds. "Dr. Yang? Dr. Yang!"

"Sorry." Cristina sputtered. She wanted to pinch herself because this must be some kind of dream. A weird dream where Erica Hahn was almost human. "Um, it's fine. We're uh, we're good. I think. Are we good?" Cristina asked.

"Yes."

"Okay then. I'm just going to go... over there. Over behind the nurses' station. Yes, that's where I'm going to go. I have, uh, paperwork! Yes, I have paperwork to do. Will you be kind enough to get Callie and let her know that her mother is waiting for her, Dr. Hahn?"

Erica laughed at the serious case of awkward that had developed between the two of them as she turned towards the doors. "Yes, Dr. Yang. I'll go now and get Dr. Torres and the evil bastard she calls her father."


	49. Reconciliation

**A/N:** So what did you think of the Cristina/Erica apology? I only heard from a couple of you. :p But the moment you've all been waiting for with Callie's mother is now here! :D YAY!

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"Callie?" Erica's voice called to her from the doorway to the ICU, breaking the raw, interminable silence between Callie and her father. Callie had tried, just once, in the few minutes that they sat there, to engage her father in neutral conversation. He remained silent the entire time, pretending that she hadn't spoken at all. Crestfallen, Callie took a seat on a bench not far from the entrance to the ward where her mother was now having a tube yanked out of her throat. When Erica's voice rang out across the narrow hallway to the bench where she now sat a few minutes later, Callie's eyes lit up. Seeing the warm smile on Erica's face, she knew that her mother was all right without having to ask. Standing up, Callie closed the last few feet between where Erica stood and where she'd been sitting and nearly dropped herself into Erica's arms.

"Hey, are you okay?" Erica asked, concerned as she hugged Callie towards her and instinctively tossing a dirty look in the direction of Callie's father.

"Uh, yeah. Sorry. I just, I need you. I needed a hug." Callie's voice faltered as she spoke, her sentences clipped as she tried to keep from crying. "All of this emotion… This is exhausting. And, that took a while. Longer than I expected. Is she- is my mom okay?"

"She's fine, Callie. Exhausted, but fine. The procedure took just a few seconds. It was my conversation with Dr. Yang that took so long." Callie's face fell, thinking that Erica and Cristina had argued. Seeing Callie's reaction, Erica said: "I'll tell you about what we spoke about when we get home tonight. I think you might be pleasantly surprised. Now, just go see your mom." Erica kissed Callie's forehead and gently pushed her back towards the entrance to the Intensive Care Unit. As Callie started to walk back inside, Jesus got up and started to follow. Knowing that Callie was still within earshot, Erica said "I'm sorry, Mr. Torres but hospital regulations state that critical patients that are awake are allowed no more than one visitor at a time." That was, of course, total bullshit, but Callie deserved a few minutes with her mother before her father came back. "Please take a seat, and we'll let you know when you can see your wife."

Callie, knowing what the rules for visitors were, turned towards Erica with an amused scowl on her face, one of her eyebrows raised skeptically. Erica simply shrugged her shoulders and smiled as Jesus shuffled back to the bench Callie had just occupied. When she was sure her father wasn't looking, Callie winked at Erica and blew her a kiss before she turned to go back inside. Erica followed her just so far as the nurses' station. She wanted Callie to have some time alone with her mother. As much as she wanted to stand near Callie and comfort her while she did this, she knew that she needed to be alone to make things right with her. Erica also realized that she may not be a welcome visitor at the bedside of Callie's mother, and that hurt. For the longest time, she had never allowed herself to feel anything, but she had been feeling a lot lately, and it was starting to exhaust her, too.

Arriving at her mother's bedside, Callie was sorely disappointed to see her mother was sleeping again, already. She knew she couldn't expect anything else, considering everything her mother's body had gone through over the past few days, but she still had hoped to speak to her. Callie took the seat next to her mother and placed her hand over her mother's. She was simultaneously elated and terrified when her mother opened her eyes.

"Mommy." Callie said gently.

"Calliope." Her mother said feebly.

"How do you-" Callie wasn't sure what you were supposed to ask someone who just woke up from a two-day, chemically-induced coma. Somehow asking how the person was feeling felt both stupid and somewhat redundant. "Are you okay?" Callie asked instead.

Callie's mother nodded. Callie could tell that she was fighting off sleep, but she just had to talk to her before she dozed back off. This might just be her last chance to talk to her mother before her father forced her away. "Mommy, listen. I know you want to sleep, so I won't stay here long. I just, I need to let you know that I love you so much."

"Oh Callie, honey, I love you, too." Callie's mother whispered.

Callie's eyes had been filling with tears since she sat down, but at her mother's words, they slowly started to fall. "I'm sorry if my relationship with Erica is what did this to you. I know you probably don't want to see me and I'm not sure if dad is going to let me come back to see you, so I just needed to let you know how much I love you and how much I'm going to miss you." Callie hung her head down and her shoulders started to shake as she sobbed quietly.

"Why wouldn't I want to see you? Why wouldn't you come back?" Callie's mother asked, confusion clouding her face.

"Because of Tuesday. Do you remember what happened on Tuesday?" Callie asked gently.

"It's not still Tuesday?"

"No, mom, it's Thursday evening now. You've been in a chemically-induced coma since Tuesday morning."

"Oh."

"Are you okay, mom?" Callie asked, concerned about the look on her mother's face. She glanced quickly at the heart monitors, making sure that everything looked like it should. Even though she wasn't a cardiologist, it was easy for Callie to see that her mother's heart rate had jumped up a bit. Erica had noticed it too, watching the monitor at the nurses' station. She motioned to Cristina and Cristina nodded. She didn't need to jump in there yet, but she would be ready if things started to go wrong.

"What did happen that morning? I remember being confused and angry, and not being able to breathe, and then I don't remember anything at all."

"You and dad found a picture of Erica and I dancing together in the newspaper. You had a massive heart attack after I told you about Erica and me."

"You told us that you were in love with Erica." Callie's mother said, the memory coming back to her. "You said that she was your girlfriend."

"I still am in love with Erica, and she is still my girlfriend. That's not going to change." Callie continued, keeping her tone gentle. "Before you collapsed, you and dad told me that I couldn't be your daughter anymore if I didn't come home with you and get some help. And then you-" Callie's sobs were making it hard for her to speak, but she pressed on. "And then you had a heart attack and I thought you were going to die."

"Callie, where is your father?"

"He's outside. They, uh, they don't want him here while I say goodbye to you. He hasn't been himself, and, they um, they won't let him in while I'm here. But I'll leave soon and he can stay until visiting hours are over."

Callie's mother took a deep breath and squeezed Callie's hand. "Callie, I don't understand what would make you fall in love with a woman. I feel in my heart that it's wrong and I know we raised you differently. But what I never got the chance to tell you, and what your father will be shocked to hear, is that if you give me a chance, I'll try to accept it. I don't want to lose my only daughter over this. So can you forgive me? Can you give me a chance to learn to live with your decision? Because I don't want you to say goodbye."

Callie's first instinct was to tell her mother that her love for Erica wasn't a decision. She didn't just decide to fall in love with a woman. Instead, she just broke down in tears and leaned forward to hug her mother and she cried even harder when she felt her mother hug her back. They just held each other for a few minutes before Callie calmed down and pulled away. Sniffling, she started to talk again, racing to get everything off of her chest before her mother fell back to sleep or she was asked to leave. "Listen, mom, there's so much to tell you but I know that dad wants to come in and see you. I don't know what he's going to say, but let me warn you ahead of time that the last few days have not been pleasant for any of us. Also, dad did some things while you were sleeping that I think were absolutely deplorable, but we don't have to talk about that. Just keep that in mind when he comes back in here- no matter what he says, he's not a completely innocent party to this mess. The only thing I want is for you to get to meet Erica and to get to know her. I know that before all of this happened, you were excited about my friendship with her and you wanted to meet her. She's really fantastic- the best friend I've ever had- and she loves me. Mom, she loves _me_. It's amazing. So tomorrow, when you're in your own room, Erica and I will come and visit you before visiting hours start, and maybe you can meet her properly this time, okay?"

A smile lit up Maria Torres' face. She hadn't seen Callie so animated in years. And it had been true- she'd wanted to meet the friend Callie was always raving about. It had been so long since Callie had spoken of fun and friendship, and before the picture in the newspaper, Maria had wanted to meet the friend that had brought her daughter back to her vibrant, confident self. "I'd love to meet Erica, again. Properly this time." Callie grinned at her. "But Calliope, whatever is going on with you and your father, you're going to have to work it out with him."

"I've been trying, mom. I swear, I've been trying." Callie said, her hands spread out before her to show the futility of her efforts. "He hasn't made it easy. Just now, he wouldn't speak to me at all."

"Well, we'll try to work it out together then, how's that?"

"Oh, mom, thank you!" Callie said as she kissed her mother's forehead lightly. "I love you."

"I love you, too. Now, go get your papa. I'd like to see him. And you could stay too, I want you here. Erica aside, we have a lot of catching up to do!"

"I want to be here, too. But because of what happened, I can't stay while dad's here. But tomorrow, when you're in a private room, we can all be together, okay?"

"What happened, Calliope?" Maria realized that if the hospital wasn't allowing the two of them to be in the same room together, whatever went on between the two of them while she was sick must have been quite serious.

"I'll let dad tell you what he did. It's not for me to say. But get some rest, all right? Because tomorrow you're going to get to know Erica, and she's fascinating."

"Callie?"

"Yes, mom?"

"I'm going to do my best to accept this... but you also have to understand that I'm confused, and I'm still a little hurt... and I'm going to do my best to get over both of those things, but you need to give me time, okay? I want to meet Erica tomorrow, but I also need time to understand all of this. All right?"

Callie's face fell a little in disappointment as she nodded her agreement. "All right. I think though, that once you get to know Erica, you'll realize that she's a great person, but I understand if you want time to wrap your head around it. Just, please, give her a chance, okay? Give the two of us a chance. That's all I can ask of you."

Callie's mother nodded and squeezed Callie's hand again. "I'll go get dad for you. Have a good night, I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

"I'll see you tomorrow, mija."

Callie stood up, kissing her mother's forehead, before walking back to the nurses' station. She beamed at Erica. "Ready to go home?" She asked sweetly.

"I take it that your reconciliation went well." Erica grinned back.

"Better than I could have hoped for."

"That's great, Cal!" Erica effused as she wrapped her arm around Callie's back and the two of them left the ward to head home.


	50. Seriously?

**A/N: **I'm not going to be around for the weekend, so this is probably going to be the last update until next mid-week next week sometime. Sorry about that folks. Sometimes life gets in the way of our fantasies. I leave you with some fluff and a promise of more as soon as possible. LOL Have a great weekend!

* * *

On the way out of the ward, Callie glanced over to where her father was sitting. Since he hadn't bothered to speak to her while they waited for her mother's extubation to be complete, she almost didn't bother to tell him that her mother was asking for him. But because her mother had been so kind, and had told her that she wanted Callie to stay in her life, she figured it would be better not to hurt her mother by not speaking with her father. Making sure that her smile stayed plastered to her face as she approached, she started to regale Erica with the story of what had happened when she had finally been able to speak to her mother. As they got closer to her father, Callie interrupted her story. "She's waiting for you." She spat over her shoulder as they continued down the hallway towards the elevators, arms still wrapped around each other's backs as they walked.

They watched Jesus shuffle towards the ward as they waited for the elevator at the end of the hall. Watching him, it dawned on Callie just how much her father had aged over the past few days. A lot of the confidence in his walk was gone. He didn't hold his head high, like he used to. Callie was still hurt and angry enough with him to take a grain of satisfaction from his appearance right now, but Erica's words from the day before rang in her ears. She couldn't hold on to the hurt and the anger. It didn't do anyone any good. She just didn't know how to give up both of those feelings right now. So instead, as she stepped on to the elevator with Erica, she ignored them. Tomorrow was another day, and she'd have a better opportunity of working these things out when they visited her mother in the morning.

The elevator was packed, because the shift change had just started. Ignoring the stares and the whispers, the two squeezed in with the rest of the crowd. Erica took Callie's hand and squeezed it. She was surprised at how easily she was able to do this. A week ago, she was sweating bullets about how she would be perceived by her colleagues as she held Callie's hand walking towards the attending's lounge. Now she could care less. She was still Erica Hahn, heart goddess _and_ she had was still head over heels in love. Holding Callie's hand was second nature now, and she couldn't believe how much time she'd wasted avoiding contact like this. What a difference a week could make, she thought to herself.

The ride down to the lobby was a quiet one for the two women. It wasn't until they were seated in Erica's car that Callie continued with her story.

"She remembered everything, but she told me she loved me and that she still wants me in her life!" Callie effused.

"So you've said, about five hundred times since you left her bedside." Erica laughed as she spoke, elated to see how happy Callie was.

Ignoring the friendly jibe, Callie continued. "She wants to meet you tomorrow. Properly meet you. Those were her words. She wants to give us a chance. And she said that she just needs time to try and accept this, but that she was going to try as hard as she could because she didn't want to lose me!"

"That's wonderful, Callie. I hope I don't disappoint her."

"Are you kidding? She's going to love you as much as I love you."

Grinning, Erica asked: "And how much to you love me?"

"Wait until we get home and I'll show you." Callie said, placing her hand on Erica's thigh.

"Ooooh... Callie Torres, you're such a dirty, dirty girl! Want to do the right thing and take me out on a date first, before you get me into your bed?" Erica laughed. It felt so good to be able to joke around and flirt with Callie again.

"I guess I should do this properly, right?" Callie laughed and turned in the seat to face Erica. She tried hard, but she couldn't keep a straight face when she spoke, and it made Erica laugh before Callie even started speaking. "Hey sexy, you wanna go out to dinner with me?" Callie asked coyly.

"Tonight?"

"Yeah, sure. It's not that late. I'm kinda hungry and I don't cook as well as you do." Callie smiled at Erica. It just felt so great to be able to laugh, joke, smile... and make plans again. Even though things were nowhere near being back to normal, it no longer felt like her life was on hold.

"I tell you what." Erica said as she steered the car off the freeway and into the parking lot of a grocery store. "I'll cook for you again tonight. How about a stir fry? It's quick, it's healthy, and it tastes good. And I can use some slicing and dicing. I don't think I've ever gone this long without a surgery." Erica grinned.

"That sounds nice. Even that's something I can help with."

They entered the store and picked up a few odds and ends in addition to what they'd need for their stir fry that night. Callie never thought that picking up mundane household items could be so much fun, but she and Erica had a friendly debate over whether the gel-type or the paste-type toothpaste was best, and which brand of facial tissue was better at not making noses red and raw during a bad cold. In the end they'd settled on Callie's brand of toothpaste (gel-type, with tooth whitening and tarter-controlling ingredients) and Erica's tissues (no lotion, because even a red, raw nose was better than the slimy residue left behind by the lotion tissues).

At the checkout counter, Callie had her debit card out and ready to pay, but Erica wouldn't hear of it. "Erica, I thought we were going to start splitting the household expenses." Callie's voice carried a warning tone, but Erica was adamant.

"We will, I promise. But for now, let's just get your mom taken care of and things worked out with your dad. If he's serious, he's going to cut off your inheritance and I'd just feel better if you weren't spending money unnecessarily before you knew what was going on."

"Even if he cuts off my inheritance, I still want to split the expenses with you. It's not like I don't make any money at all, Erica."

"I know that, and I didn't mean to imply that you relied solely on his support. You can pay next time, if you want." Walking back to the car, they placed the grocery bags in the trunk. Since the night was crystal clear and quite warm, Erica dropped the top on the car as they drove home. Pulling away, she said to Callie "If you want to help with the household expenses, you're more than welcome to do so. But I'm not going to ask you to do it because I really meant it when I said I wanted to take care of you."

"I'm flattered, Erica, I really am. But I want you to take care of me emotionally. I want you to take care of my physically if I'm sick or hurt. But financially, let's make this a partnership, okay? Let's do that because as sweet as your gesture is, I would like to be able to call your house 'our home' and in order to do that, I need to help out when it comes to maintenance and expenses and stuff like that. It's just what's right."

"All right." Erica said, understanding where Callie was coming from. If the roles had been reversed, it would have been Erica who was insisting on paying her own way too.

Arriving home, the two were surprised to see a pile of luggage waiting at the front door. Realizing that it was their luggage that the airline lost on the way to the spa the week before, Callie cursed before she started pulling it inside. The large suitcase had been duct taped shut, and one of the duffels was badly damaged. Callie started unpacking everything as Erica unloaded the groceries and sorted through the mail before starting dinner.

"Hey Cal, look at this!" Erica called from the dining room where she had just opened a large, heavy cardboard envelope.

"What is it?" Callie asked.

Turning the envelope towards Callie, Erica showed her an eight by ten photo of the two of them dancing together at William and Jason's party. This wasn't the same photo that had appeared in the paper. This was a close-up of the two of them, arms wrapped around one another as they grinned towards the camera. It was a beautiful picture of the two of them and Callie gasped in amazement when she saw it. Erica pulled a few more photos of various sizes out of the envelope along with a note from William and Jason.

_Drs. Hahn and Torres:_

_We hope you enjoyed your stay with us. These photos were taken during our party, and we thought you'd enjoy having them as mementos of what we hope was a fun evening for the two of you. We'll be in Seattle next month for the debut of Jason's Fall line of clothes, and we'd love it if you'd be our guests for a night on the town and a fashion show. If you're interested, please give us a call._

_Kind regards,_

_William and Jason_

Attached to the note was another of William's business cards. Callie was grinning from ear to ear by the time she finished reading the note. "So do you wanna go with them?" she asked.

"Sure, if we can get the time off. Let's call them tomorrow and see when they'll be here. Maybe we can do something nice for them while they're here, in return for what they did for us while we were up by them."

"Good idea, Hahn!" Callie laughed, returning to the living room to finish going through the luggage. "I think the suitcase from the luggage set is a goner. They tore it up pretty badly. And the reason they tore it up was because they wanted our sex toys."

"What?" Erica asked, stunned.

"Yeah, they're gone. Some perv in Amsterdam stole our sex toys from our luggage. Maybe we can get your investigator friend to track them down for us." Callie laughed.

"Calliope Torres, how dare you accuse the Dutch airport security people of stealing your bag of smut!" Callie was shocked; she had been making a joke and she thought Erica realized that. Before she could defend herself, Erica's face changed to a huge smile and she said "For all we know, it was some American pervert that did that!" and the two of them laughed. "Besides, it's no big loss. We've been doing pretty well without those toys, don't you think?" Erica asked earnestly.

"Oh hell yeah!" Callie laughed. "Best sex I've ever had, hands down."

"Seriously?" Erica asked, incredulous.

"Seriously. Why do you look so shocked?"

"What about Mark?"

"What about Mark? Don't get me wrong, he's good at what he does, but he doesn't come close to what you do to me."

"Really?" Erica said, doing nothing to hide the abject surprise in her voice.

"Yes, Erica, really. The last time I was together with him, I had to make him talk dirty about _you_ because _he_ couldn't make me come. Why is this such a huge shock to you?"

"I've just, I've never been, well, no one has ever told me that I've been their best before. And I'm not complaining or anything, but I never in my life thought I'd be told that by another woman." Erica said as she smiled shyly.

"Ha!" Callie laughed. "I don't think either of us ever thought we'd be standing here, having this conversation and having it pertain to ourselves. But I'm glad that we can have this conversation, because having this conversation means that what we have together is real. Because sometimes, even now, it still feels like a dream."

Walking over to Callie and wrapping her arms around her, Erica asked "Want me to pinch you?"

Callie laughed again and let her arms slide down Erica's back to her rear-end as she leaned in and kissed her. As the kiss started to get hot and heavy, Callie pinched Erica instead. Erica broke away, laughing. "I'll go cook." She giggled as she walked back through the dining room, one hand unconsciously rubbing the spot on her behind that Callie had just pinched. She stopped at the entrance to the kitchen to speak again. "Seriously?" She asked Callie one more time.

"Seriously. But don't let it inflate your ego too much there, Hahn!" Callie laughed as she carried the tattered remnants of their luggage out of the living room.


	51. Stir Fry

**A/N:** I'm sorry for the extended delay! I had guests from out of town and it didn't leave time for writing. I hope you're still out there, reading this! :) Here's a little Erica Hahn introspective. Expect Smut next chapter, and some more in the chapter after that, too!

* * *

After Callie finished unpacking and disposing of the shredded suitcase, she joined Erica in the kitchen. Erica had set the table, and had opened a bottle of wine, filling the two glasses but leaving them untouched until Callie came down. Callie washed her hands at the kitchen sink and picked up the wine glasses, bringing one over to Erica.

"To happy days." Callie smiled as she held her glass up to Erica's.

"To happy days. Let's hope for lots more of them." Erica said as she clinked her glass against Callie's and the two of them drank deeply.

"What can I give you a hand with?" Callie asked, already refilling their wine glasses.

"Want to chop up those veggies for me?" Erica asked, pointing to a cutting board and knife she'd left out for Callie.

"Sure." Callie started chopping as Erica measured white rice in a measuring cup and poured it, along with some water, into a rice cooker. Erica then moved back to the counter and stood next to Callie. She took another sip of wine before she picked up her own knife and started expertly carving the chicken and chopping it into small pieces for the stir fry. The knife she was using was no ten-blade, but it felt good to be holding it in her hands, slicing through the chicken the way she would slice open a chest for surgery. She hadn't realized just how much she'd needed this until she had several dozen neat cubes of raw chicken in front of her, and was disappointed to find out that there was nothing left for her to chop up. She let out a quiet sigh.

"What's the matter?" Callie asked. She'd long ago stopped chopping the vegetables to watch Erica go at the chicken, amazed at the skill she showed. If Erica hadn't become a world-class heart surgeon, she could have become a world-class chef.

"Nothing's the matter. Why?" Erica asked.

"You just sighed a little bit. Is something bothering you?"

"Oh, that. No, nothing's bothering me. I just miss surgery." Erica gave an awkward laugh as she pointed at the cubes of raw chicken in front of her. She picked up her wine glass again and took another long sip. Slowly the tension of the day was leaving her, and she knew that it wouldn't be long before she was tipsy. She didn't care. She was home and she didn't have surgery in the morning. Erica picked up the wine bottle and refilled both of their glasses as Callie spoke.

"I'm so sorry, Erica. It's my fault that you can't operate until next week. First it was the long weekend that I planned, then the kick to the head. I'm sorry."

Erica started laughing. "The kick to the head?" She laughed harder at how simply and to-the-point Callie had phrased what had taken place. "You didn't kick me! Besides, that kick to the head wasn't your fault. I keep telling you that! And I may miss surgery, but there's not going to be very many days like we've been having where the two of us can spend so much time together. So I may miss surgery, but when we go back to our normal routines, I'm going to miss you more."

"Aw, I'm going to miss you too!" Callie laughed as she hugged Erica.

"Callie, I apologized to Cristina Yang today." Erica blurted out.

Callie's eyes opened wide. "Seriously?"

"Yes. She apologized to me, too. And I, um, I forgave her." Erica shrugged her shoulders. She never expected to feel so light after letting go of her anger. The feeling really, really confused her. At least her anger gave her something to hold on to; it anchored her and kept her focused. Now, she didn't know what to do with herself, or how to act around Cristina. She had promised her to be better to her, and she knew she would keep that promise, but keeping that promise wasn't going to be easy.

Callie was jumping up and down with her arms wrapped around Erica's waist as if she was just told that she'd won the Publisher's Clearinghouse Sweepstakes. When she stopped squealing, she finally said "This is so great, Erica! I am so proud of you!"

"I didn't say we became friends Callie. We can just be civil to each other now. I promised her I'd be better to her, and she promised me that she'd stop trying to kiss my ass all day every day."

"I didn't ask you to be her friend. If you want to be her friend, that's fine. But personally, I'd rather that you kept it professional."

"Why is that?" Erica asked, surprised at Callie's change in course. Wasn't she singing Cristina's praises the other day, saying how nice of a friend she'd make for Erica?

"Because if you become friends, you might become best friends. You know… lunches in the cafeteria, drinks and darts at Joes, evenings rehashing your last cardio surgery together over red wine... And if you become best friends, you might fall in love with her. Like what you did with me."

Leaning in so that their lips were just inches apart, Erica whispered "Somehow, I don't think that's going to happen."

"Oh really? How do you know?" Callie asked, her voice deep and seductive.

"Because I am already in love with my best friend." Erica said as she closed the gap between their lips. In between kisses, she continued "And no one is ever going to take her place."

"Good to know..." Callie murmured, kissing Erica back. "'Cause if she ever tried anything..." More kissing. "I'd kick her ass."

Pulling apart to catch their breath, Erica laughed as she said "Something tells me she doesn't enjoy 'Sapphic Salads' quite the way you and I do, Callie."

"Neither did either of us, before we met." Callie said, pausing to think about what she wanted to say next.

Noticing her hesitation, pulled Callie closer. "What's on your mind?"

"I'm just wondering why this feels so normal. I mean, please don't get me wrong. I love you, I love what's become of our friendship. I'm not doing the whole 'gay panic' thing. I did that before I kissed you. But we both dated men. We were both satisfied by men. Now, I just, I don't know how to explain it. I'm still a little confused. But confused in a good way. How did we end up here? And how can make sure that we stay so freakin' happy?" Callie asked.

"I guess we just keep doing what we're doing. And I know exactly what you mean about the confusion. I'm confused too. I'm sure that I want to be with you and I'm sure that we're going to stay together forever... but I feel like, if I for some reason I can't have you, I don't know if I would fall for a woman again. It's you I love, not your gender." Erica smiled as she turned and added the chicken to the wok she'd been heating on the stove. "Are you done chopping those vegetables yet?" She asked, knowing already that Callie wasn't because she'd been watching her slicing and dicing the chicken earlier.

"Oops, no. Take what I've done already and I'll finish the rest now."

Erica pulled another knife out of the drawer and another cutting board out of the cabinet. She reached over and took some of the vegetables from Callie and they chopped them together quickly in a companionable silence. Shortly after adding the vegetables to the wok, the timer on the rice cooker went off. "Perfect timing!" Erica said. "Cal, would you mind scooping the rice into a bowl for me and putting it on the table? The stir fry will be done in just a second." Erica flipped the stir fry in the wok like an expert, tossing the food into the air and catching it easily with the wok again. Callie felt like she was watching the Food Network.

Placing the bowl of rice on the table, Callie sat down in her seat and watched Erica continue to cook. "Where'd you learn to cook like that?" Callie asked, the awe apparent in her voice.

"I started cooking when I was a teenager. I used to try and make fantastic meals that my family and I could sit down and eat together. As a family." Erica said. "I thought maybe I could tempt them to the table and we could, you know, talk. I was a teenager- I had a lot of questions and a lot of fears, just like any other teenager. I thought maybe sitting down over dinner would open up some of the lines of communication. It didn't work though. Since both of my parents were doctors, they came and went at odd hours and I don't think that there was a single time that we sat down to eat together as a family. I know they ate the leftovers though- they would disappear from the fridge at night. It would have been nice if they had ever told me what they thought of those meals- good or bad." Erica said as she placed a bowl of stir fry between them on the table. "Dig in."

"I'm sorry." Callie said sadly as she scooped food onto her plate.

"Don't be. I have you to share my dinners with now."

"Who did you talk to? When you were a teenager, I mean. Who did you talk to about your fears? Who answered your questions?"

"Well, I didn't talk to anyone. I bottled everything up until I was a senior in high school. I sat down one afternoon with my guidance counselor to go over my options for colleges and the various ways of applying to different schools, and he asked me how it was possible for me to function on a daily basis." Erica paused and took a deep drink of wine, and then refilled her glass before she continued. "I wasn't sure what he meant by that, so I asked him. He told me that he'd seen 'Type A' personalities before, but he'd never seen anyone quite like me. He asked me if I was all right, if I was being taken care of at home." Erica drank from her wine again as Callie looked on, sympathy written all over her face. "So I told him that I was fine. I always told everyone I was fine. He saw right through me though. He told me that for four years, he had watched me progress through school. He said that he was proud of me for my grades, but that he was scared of what he saw. He knew how much I craved attention and how I needed to be successful every time I tried my hand at something. He recommended that I see a therapist. I was so insulted by his recommendation that I nearly stomped out of his office. He stopped me at the door though, and he just hugged me. It had been so long since anyone had touched me that I burst into tears the second he did it. I'm sure that today that probably would have gotten him fired or even sent to jail. But he hugged me, and told me that it was all right to want to succeed in life, but that I also had to live a little too. He told me that there were people who would listen to me, who would care about me if I wanted to meet them. So the next week, I started therapy. My first therapist was amazing. She specialized in teens and she became more than a therapist to me. She was a confidante, she answered my questions about life and love and just being a teenager. She went above and beyond to make sure that I was all right. I've been in and out of therapy ever since then." Erica hung her head low. "Part of me still feels like a failure for being in therapy. Part of me is thrilled with the progress I've made."

"Therapy is not a failure. Therapy is realizing that you need a little help and being brave enough to go and get it." Callie whispered, placing her hand over Erica's.

"I haven't seen Dr. Wyatt since BK." Erica said, grinning over Callie's shortening of "Before Kiss". I have an appointment with her next week. Is it okay with you if I tell her about us? She's going to want to know why I'm suddenly so happy."

"Absolutely, Erica. Tell her all about us. We've got nothing to hide." Callie said with a smile.

"I have to admit that I told her I had feelings for you in one of our last sessions. She was trying to help me work through some of my confusion and my 'gay panic' as you put it so succinctly." Erica smiled at Callie. "It's going to kill me to admit to her that she was right, that I should have just approached you and told you that I was attracted to you."

"I wish you wouldn't have been so scared. I wouldn't have run. I probably would have jumped your bones right then and there." Callie laughed.

"Well, you were scared too, so at least you know why I didn't." Erica laughed back.

"Let's not keep secrets from each other anymore, okay? I hated not being able to tell my best friend what I was feeling." Callie said.

"I hated it too. You can tell me anything. From now on, just say what's on your mind."

"You make sure you do that too. Say what you need to say."

"Are you finished eating?" Erica asked.

"Yes, why?"

"Let's clean up. I want to go to bed."

"Bed? It's only nine o'clock!" Callie exclaimed.

"I didn't _say_ I wanted to sleep." Erica grinned.


	52. Sweet Dreams

**A/N:** Ah, finally, some smut. Thanks for hanging in there everyone! :)

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Callie had no sooner pressed the start button on the dish washer than Erica was beside her, holding her hand out to Callie. Callie took it, her fingers intertwining with Erica's as she allowed herself to be led towards the bedroom. Both of them were more than just a little tipsy from the wine they'd drank and it took them longer than usual to make it to the bedroom. Slowly closing the door behind them, Callie turned towards Erica, who had already let go of her hand and was seated on the bed, facing Callie. Walking towards the bed, Callie pulled her t-shirt off and was busy fumbling with the button on her jeans by the time she arrived in front of Erica. Leaning forward, she placed her hands on both of Erica's shoulders and pushed her gently backwards from her sitting position. The top of Erica's body was now lying on the bed but her legs dangled over the side. Erica spread her legs so that Callie could lie atop her and then wrapped her legs around Callie, pulling her closer. Callie pushed Erica's shirt up over her head and fondled her breasts through her bra before she reached back and unhooked it, sliding it down off of her shoulders and tossing it to the floor. She then leaned in and kissed Erica, starting slowly and sweetly. It took just seconds for the passion between the two of them to ignite. Erica moved her hands up to cup Callie's face to pull her closer still, while Callie's hands moved down towards Erica's jeans. Temporarily abandoning her efforts to remove her own clothes, Callie unbuttoned Erica's jeans and broke their kiss long enough to pull them down, off of her. She then slid her hand into the front of Erica's panties. Feeling the wet heat that met her fingertips, Callie groaned into the kiss.

"Do you see what you do to me?" Erica whispered as Callie broke their kiss again to better position herself. Leaning on one elbow next to Erica, Callie slid her the fingers on her other hand into Erica and slowly worked them in and out, her thumb resting on Erica's clit.

"You're so wet." Callie whispered.

"No one has ever turned me on as much as you do, Callie." Erica whispered.

"Just how much do I turn you on?" Callie whispered back, her voice quiet and deep.

"I can see you from across a crowded room and you turn me on without even looking at me." Callie increased the pace of her fingers slightly, and Erica sighed happily as wave after wave of pleasure started to envelope her. "You can look at me just the right way, without ever saying anything, and I know that I want you, right then and there, no matter where we are." Callie leaned over and gave Erica open-mouthed kisses from her mouth down to her clavicle, never breaking the rhythm of her fingers inside of Erica. "Your voice sends ripples of pleasure through me and I can barely concentrate on anything but you when you're around." Callie moved lower on Erica's body, circling Erica's nipple with her tongue. "You can brush by me, barely touching me, and I almost come." Tracing a wet trail down the front of Erica's body, Callie slowly removed her fingers from Erica, and listened as Erica groaned. Pulling Erica's panties off of her, Callie replaced her fingers with her tongue. "And then you do that," Erica gasped as Callie's tongue entered her. "And you send me over the edge." Callie slid her tongue from inside of Erica up into the cleft of skin between her legs and she did send Erica over the edge. Erica arched her back, pushing up slightly on her hands, grasping the comforter in her fists as she gasped through her orgasm. Leaving her lips locked around Erica's clit, Callie slid her fingers back inside of Erica, feeling the soft fluttering she'd just created inside of her. As the last waves of her orgasm washed over Erica, Callie started to pump her fingers again, and this time, she brought Erica to a louder, more forceful orgasm that left her gasping for breath.

After Erica's second orgasm, Callie moved up onto the bed next to her. Erica looked over at Callie and whispered "You still have on far too many clothes..."

That was all the encouragement Callie needed. She got up and hit the radio button on the clock radio on the nightstand. Erica always had it set to some easy listening station, claiming that starting her day to something louder or faster wasn't the right way to get through long days in the OR. This was something Callie normally wouldn't let her live down, but tonight the slow pace of the music was perfect. She turned her back to Erica and started dancing to the music just slightly, enough so that it made the curves of her hips noticeable. Swaying to the music, she slid her jeans down and left them in a puddle at her feet. Still with her back to Erica, she glanced over her shoulder and was pleased to see the effect she was having on her lover. Erica was sitting up on the bed, also swaying in time to the music, her dreamily-lidded eyes never leaving Callie's body. Callie turned around and slowly danced across the two feet that separated her from Erica. Standing directly in front of her now, she took Erica's hands and placed them on her hips as she continued to sway them to the music. Callie started to reach back and unclasp her bra but Erica stood up and stopped her. "Allow me..." she whispered, leaning up against Callie, breast to bra-covered breast as she reached around and unclasped Callie's bra. As Erica tugged the bra down Callie's arms, she started kissing Callie teasingly on the lips before she trailed her tongue down to Callie's chest. When Erica flicked one of Callie's nipples with her tongue, Callie moaned and threaded her fingers in Erica's hair, urging her downward. Instead of complying, Erica stood back up and kissed Callie again, wrapping her arms around Callie's neck and swaying to the music with her. Turning Callie, she eased her backwards onto the bed, all the while still kissing her.

Moving her lips to Callie's neck, Erica used her tongue to trace down to Callie's clavicle before moving one of her hands down between Callie's legs. As she nibbled and sucked on the soft skin just below Callie's neck, she slid her fingers inside of Callie and pumped them in and out to the slow beat of the music. When Callie started to buck her hips, Erica knew that Callie was getting close. She shifted slightly and applied more pressure to both her fingers inside of Callie and the sucking she was doing to Callie's neck. It took just seconds for Callie's orgasm to arrive, wave after wave of sheer gratification crashing over her. As the palpitations around her fingers subsided, Erica kissed Callie lightly and then slid down, her head between Callie's legs. Slowly she traced her tongue in circles around Callie's clitoris as she renewed the lust in Callie. Moments later a second orgasm hit her, causing Callie to cry out.

The two of them basked in the afterglow of their lovemaking until they were both cold. The combination of the emotional day, the wine at dinner and the great sex had left both of them completely exhausted. Neither of them said a word as they held each other. They didn't have to. It was moments like these where their love passed unspoken between them. When Callie could no longer take the chill in the room, she sat up and pulled the covers down on her side of the bed, nudging a now-dozing Erica so that she could curl up under the covers with her. Spooning against Erica's back, Callie whispered in Erica's ear: "I love you."

"I love you too, Callie." Erica whispered as she kissed the back of Callie's hand. "Today turned out better than I had ever thought it would."

"It certainly did. Thank you for taking such good care of me, Erica. And thank you for watching over my mother. I know that as much as you gave her care a hands-off approach, you were monitoring everything. It must have been exhausting. Thank you for caring about her."

"I care about you, and that's why I cared so much about your mother." Erica said simply. "There's no need to thank me for that."

"You were the bigger person, Erica, and I'm proud of you for it. She didn't so much as give you the right time of day when she first met you, but you've been taking such wonderful care of her, and of me. I love you for that."

"I hope your mom with come to love me, too." Erica replied. She'd never met the parents of any of her boyfriends before because none of her relationships had progressed to the point where they'd ever felt it necessary to meet. Erica had no prior experience to prepare her for meeting Callie's mother. Although the initial introductions had taken place, it had gone horribly and Erica knew that first impressions were hard to overcome.

"Of course she will love you." Callie said. "How could she not? You're amazing. She already knows how good of a friend you have been to me. Now she's just going to have to understand that you're not just my friend anymore. She's going to be so impressed by you, Erica."

"Not if your dad talks about me to her first." Erica said, thinking of all the things she'd said and done to Jesus Torres over the past few days and feeling her stomach sink towards her feet. She realized that her actions had been completely justified, but justified didn't make them _right_. She could only imagine what Callie's father had said about her that night after Callie and Erica had left the hospital.

"My father needs to get over his anger. If he had eyes, he'd see how much you care for me just by how you protect me from him and his insults. My mother is usually pretty good at keeping his temper in check for him. She's not easily influenced by his attitudes."

"Even still, what if she doesn't like me?"

"So what? You've never been one to care what other people think of you, Erica. And no matter what my mother thinks, I still like you. I more than like you. I love you, remember?" Callie asked, laughing lightly and kissing the space between Erica's neck and shoulder. "I also think that we've established over the last few days that what my parents think doesn't really matter when it comes to the two of us. I'd like for them to love you, I really would. But don't be hurt if they suddenly go back to the way they were on Tuesday. If we've learned anything over the past few days, it's that the problem is not you, it's not me, the problem is with them. They're set in their ways, and the way they were taught is that what you and I have together is wrong."

"I know, but now that we have a second chance with your mom, I'd really like for her to like me. It would be nice to have her in our lives. From what you've said about her, she seems like a great mom. I'd like to see what it is like to have such a great mom."

"She is a great mom. You'll get to see that tomorrow. Don't worry so much, Erica. It's unlike you to worry about things like this. Just be your usual self, and everything will be fine. Remember that no matter how tomorrow goes, we still have each other."

"I hope it'll go as well as you think it will. I'd really like for you to at least have a normal relationship with your mother again." Erica said, calmed by Callie's confidence. Rolling over, she faced Callie and rested her head on Callie's shoulder. "Good night, Callie."

"Good night, Erica. Sweet dreams."

"Sweet dreams."


	53. Painkiller

**A/N:** Meh. I'm not thrilled with this chapter, but here it is. :p There's only so many times you can re-write something.

One month from today is the season 5 premiere... is anyone else counting down like I am? :)

* * *

Callie wasn't sure what the noise was that woke her, but she was surprised to see that Erica was no longer curled up in bed beside her. Glancing over at the clock radio, she was further surprised to see that it was only two o'clock in the morning. There was no reason for Erica to be out of bed so early. Sitting up, Callie heard the noise again and realized it was coming from the bathroom. Callie stood up and walked towards the master bath, flipping on the light as she entered.

Erica, who was kneeling, doubled over at the toilet, quickly put her hands over her eyes as she retched. When she finally could, she spoke. "Please Cal, turn the light off, it's killing me."

Callie flipped the light switch back off but moved towards Erica, holding her hair up behind her head as she continued to get sick. "What happened? What's wrong?" Callie asked.

"I had too much wine. Derek told me not to drink because of my concussion, and I had been feeling so good that I completely forgot." Erica gasped.

Realizing that they were both stark naked and that the bathroom tile was freezing cold beneath them, Callie pulled the bath towel down off of the rack and wrapped it around Erica. When Erica's retching had stopped, Callie got up and filled a glass of water at the sink. "You need to rehydrate." Callie said gently as Erica shook her head, trying to refuse the water. "Just take small sips. Don't gulp it." Slowly, Erica was able to drink the entire glass. After Callie was sure that Erica was going to keep the water down, she got back up and refilled the glass, taking two acetaminophen tablets from their bottle in the medicine cabinet.

"Take these." She whispered, putting the tablets in Erica's hand.

Again Erica shook her head. "I can't, I think I'm going to be sick again." As soon as the words were out of her mouth, she was retching again. After the water she just drank came back up, she started dry heaving, the contents of her stomach evacuated long before Callie had woken up.

"Stay here for a second, I'll be right back." Callie whispered as Erica curled up on the floor at the base of the toilet. Rushing back into their bedroom, Callie pulled on clothes and grabbed some of Erica's. Bringing them back into the bathroom, Callie handed them to Erica.

"What's this?" Erica asked, confused.

"We're going to the ER. Derek said if you started to vomit, we needed to bring you back to the ER. So please put some clothes on while I go pull the car out of the garage."

"Callie, I'm hung over. I don't need to go-" Again Erica started dry heaving. The retching became so bad at one point that the blood vessels in the side of Erica's face began to pop, leaving red marks.

"Come on, you don't have a choice in the matter." Callie was adamant. When Erica refused to move, Callie began to dress her, and at first Erica put up quite a fight. When her head started to pound, she quickly gave in, letting Callie finish. "Just stay here for a minute; I'm going to start the car. Grab the garbage pail," Callie pointed to the small pail beside the sink, "and I'll come and get you. We'll put you on fluids and you'll be fine by the time the sun comes up."

When Callie returned a few minutes later, she was shocked to see Erica just lying in front of the toilet. Grabbing the garbage pail, she bent down and tried to help Erica to stand. Erica tried, but couldn't keep her footing under her. Scared, Callie sat Erica back down on the floor and grabbed her cell phone.

"Who are you calling?" Erica mumbled, too dizzy to even lift her head.

"I'm calling an ambulance. Just stay there, try not to move too much."

"No! No, I don't want an ambulance. Help me up again; we'll do it this time."

Callie bent over again and wrapped one of Erica's arms around her shoulders. Slowly she got Erica up and Erica leaned heavily on her. It took them twenty minutes to make it to the car, and the entire time Callie kept saying it would be better to call an ambulance and Erica kept refusing. When Callie finally got Erica in the car seat, she buckled her in and then ran around to the driver's side. She hit the gas so hard pulling out of the driveway that she left tire marks. As they got on the freeway, Callie pulled out her cell phone and called the triage desk in the emergency room, notifying them of their impending arrival. Erica had already passed out in the passenger seat, and Callie pulled off to the side of the road at one point to check her pulse and breathing. Relieved that both seemed normal, Callie pulled back out into traffic and sped back towards Seattle Grace Hospital.

Pulling up in the ambulance bay, Callie was shocked to see Miranda Bailey and George O'Malley standing outside in trauma gowns with an empty stretcher. "Is there a trauma coming in behind me?" Callie asked, worried she'd have to move her car before she could get Erica out of it.

"No, we're waiting for you." Miranda said as she and George lifted a semi-conscious Erica onto the stretcher. Callie followed the stretcher in with Miranda and George, explaining what Erica had been drinking earlier that night.

"I expected better from the two of you." Miranda said sharply as she located a vein in Erica's hand and set up an intravenous line. "I mean, Dr. Torres, you're both doctors. One of you didn't think that Dr. Hahn drinking with a concussion would be a bad idea?"

"I'm sorry." Callie dropped her head. They'd been too busy celebrating Callie's personal victory with her mother to even think about Erica's concussion. Callie suddenly felt ashamed and stupid, and guilty as hell for the way Erica was feeling right now.

"Well, what's done is done." Miranda said, seeing Callie's face fall as she hung a bag of saline on the IV stand. "Dr. Hahn, do you hear me?" She asked, bringing Erica back to a confused consciousness.

"Huh?" Erica mumbled, covering her eyes from the light.

"Dr. O'Malley, please go get me one of the yellow saline bags. We're going to need to double up our efforts here." Miranda said, pointing her finger towards the supply closet. "Dr. Hahn, can you look at me?" Miranda asked, her voice ricocheting between Erica's ears like a shotgun shell.

Erica turned and lifted her hands from her eyes to look up at Miranda, then re-covered her eyes. The stark lighting in the pit was enough to blind her tonight.

"I think you're just dehydrated, Dr. Hahn. I'm going to put you on fluids for a little while, and we'll see how you fare. Can you answer me?"

"Headache..." Erica mumbled.

"I'm sure you have one hell of a headache, yes. But based on how much alcohol you consumed, I can't give you anything for it right now." Miranda made a ticking sound with her tongue as she patted Erica's hand. George returned a few moments later and added the yellow saline to the IV line. "That ought to sober you up a bit. I'll draw blood in a little while and see what your ETOH levels are. If you're sober enough, I'll shoot you up with something good for the pain." Looking over at Callie, Miranda said, "If you're sober enough yourself, Dr. Torres, I'd appreciate it if you could move your car to the parking lot. You never know when we're gonna need that ambulance bay."

Erica grunted and rolled over, still covering her eyes as Miranda left. George shot Callie an awkward smile, shrugging his shoulders. "I can move your car for you Dr. Tor-, I mean, Callie. I'll park it in your usual spot, if you want."

"Thanks George." Callie said, handing him her keys. She found it sweet that he remembered her usual parking spot, and that he'd offer to park her car for her. George was just thankful for the opportunity to get away from his ex-wife and her girlfriend for the moment. He was genuinely happy that Callie had found someone to love; he was just a little bit shocked that it turned out to be another woman.

"Callie..." Erica groaned.

"Sweetie?" Callie asked back.

"Headache..." Erica groaned again. "Please Callie, it's so bad."

"I'm sorry, Erica. It's just not safe to give you painkillers right now. Just let the fluids rehydrate you and then we'll be able to give you something for the headache. There's too much alcohol in your system."

Callie was completely shocked when Erica burst into tears. Erica wasn't a big crier, and she certainly hadn't cried when she'd first gotten this concussion, but right now, huge tears were streaming down her face and sobs were wracking her body. "Oh sweetie," Callie crooned, kicking off her flip flops and getting on the bed behind Erica. "Lean back," Callie whispered, cradling Erica tight against her. "Just close your eyes, baby. Try to think of something other than the pain."

"Like what?" Erica cried, the headache making her feel like she'd go blind.

"Well..." Callie whispered against her ear. "How about the mind blowing sex we had earlier?"

"What?" Erica moaned, thinking the headache had made her lose her senses as well.

"You know that people who are allergic to painkillers often use porn to release natural endorphins in their body to fight pain, right?" Callie whispered.

Erica did know that, she'd read it in a medical journal somewhere. But despite that knowledge, she couldn't bring herself to think of anything right now, let alone the intimacy she and Callie had shared hours earlier. "I can't, Callie." Erica whispered.

"Well, let me help you then." Callie whispered back, her voice as low as possible. "Let me tell you all the things I'm going to do to you when you get better." Callie started rubbing slow circles on Erica's back with her palm, trying to ease away some of the tension and therefore some of the pain.

"I don't know…" Erica started, but Callie interrupted her.

"Erica, the next chance we have, I'm going to pin you down to the bed, and do very wicked things to you with my tongue."

"Callie," Erica started again, afraid someone would hear Callie whispering to her, but Callie continued undaunted.

"I'm going to pin you down and kiss you senseless. I'm going to trace a path to your nipples and I'm going to suck on each of them until they're so erect that they'll never go back down, because I know just how sensitive they are. Then I'm going to continue down to your stomach, where I'll plant kisses like butterflies while I knead your tits with my fingers, because I can't get enough of your tits. And when that becomes too much, I'm going to slide on down between your legs, where I'm going to lick, nibble and suck on you until you scream my name. And I'm going to do it over and over again until you can't stand it anymore."

Erica's sobbing had stopped by now and she had rested her head back against Callie's chest. As Callie continued, Erica's breathing regulated, and after another twenty minutes, Erica had fallen off into a deep sleep. Callie leaned back against the bed and closed her eyes too, satisfied that she could at least ease some of Erica's pain, even if it wasn't in the most conventional of methods. They both had a big day ahead of them tomorrow, and they both needed some rest. Neither of them were aware of when George came back with Callie's keys and put them in her purse for her. Neither of them ever heard Miranda come back and check on Erica, skipping the pain killer since she'd apparently been soothed by other methods. Callie did stir when Lexie Grey came by with a blanket and covered them, but she never woke up. The two just slumbered on until the morning sunlight started to filter through the doors to the ambulance bay and an EMT with a squawking radio walked by the curtained partition where they slept.


	54. Allies and Friends

**A/N:** Well folks, it's time for the story to start winding down. We're not at the end yet, but we'll get there soon. I'll give you plenty of warning though! I'd like to have this story wrapped up before the beginning of the 5th season of Grey's, so there's still some time yet. Thanks to all of you who read this and leave comments and messages. They really are my inspiration and it's what makes this story so fun to write!

* * *

"No one ever said this was going to be easy." Callie was watching Erica fidget in the elevator on the way up to her mother's room, showing an uncharacteristic nervousness. After Miranda had discharged Erica, they'd showered and dressed in the lounge and were wearing the clothes Callie had stuffed into a bag for the two of them the night before. "But it's not a death sentence. Just be yourself. Don't worry so much."

It was hard for Erica not to worry. She felt edgy from the medication she'd been given last night and she was tired from not enough sleep. The intravenous liquids had killed the headache she'd gotten but the burst blood vessels in her face had caused her previously-healing bruise to swell and redden again. She looked like an accident victim and she was secretly wishing that Callie had remembered to pack her makeup case last night. "I don't know what to say to her." Erica finally responded, after she'd fingered the hem of her shirt long enough to make it wrinkle. "She's predisposed to hate me, Callie, and I don't know what to say or do to make her think any differently."

"What would you say to anyone else who thought that way about you?" Callie asked, trying to help Erica.

"I wouldn't say anything. Normally I wouldn't give someone who was predisposed to hating me the right time of day, let alone strike up a conversation with them."

"She said she wanted to try and accept us. She said she was going to make an effort to get to know you and to accept the two of us. So I don't think she's predisposed to hating you. Not anymore, anyway."

"I'm oddly comforted by that." Erica grinned for the first time that morning.

"No matter what happens today Erica, remember that I love you."

"I know you do. And I love you right back."

As the elevator doors slid open, Callie wrapped her arm around Erica's back and they walked off the elevator together. Callie's mother had been given a private room at the end of the hall. The room wasn't gigantic, but it was big enough for several people to visit a patient at one time. It was one of the few rooms reserved for VIPs or patients needing police protection. The Chief had apparently given it to Callie's mother because he considered her a VIP, a gesture that was not lost on Callie. She had to remember to thank him for that.

Callie had expected her father to be there already, as the rules for visiting patients in this ward were far more relaxed than in the intensive care unit, but he wasn't in the room when they arrived. Callie's mother was asleep in the bed, her oxygen mask off her face but still within arms reach. The two sat in the chairs between the bed and the window, making themselves comfortable as they waited for Maria Torres to wake.

"That's a good sign." Erica said quietly, pointing to the oxygen mask. "If she took it off herself, she's breathing quite well. She'll be up and about before you know it, Callie."

"I still have to make arrangements for her rehabilitative care. I don't know how I'm going to do that if my father won't speak to me."

"Maybe she won't need rehab, Cal. She's a fighter, your mom. If we get her up and out of bed today, and start walking her around a little bit at a time, she'll probably be ready to go home after about a week."

"But will she be able to fly?" Callie asked.

"No, probably not for a few weeks yet. The pressurization in the airplane can be dangerous. In rare cases, it causes blood clots."

"So I'm going to have to find somewhere for her to stay then, if she's not going into a rehabilitation center."

"I just figured she could stay with us, if you wanted her to." Erica had been thinking about this on and off for the last day. She knew it would be incredibly uncomfortable to open up their home to Callie's mother (and presumably Callie's father, since he'd probably want to stay with his wife), but it was the right thing to do. Not only could Callie's mother recuperate in the comfort of someone's home, but she and Callie could spend some quality time together. And maybe, just maybe, it might give Callie's parents better insight into their lives.

"Erica, I could not ask you to do that. But thanks anyway."

"Why not, Callie? I mean, we could just ask her. She'll have at least a week here in the hospital to get to know me, and we can see if both of your parents want to stay with us until it's safe for your mom to fly home. It will give you some time to spend with her and maybe it will help to bring your dad around to see how normal our lives are."

"There's no way that my father is staying with us. Not unless by some miracle he decides that he's one hundred percent all right with our relationship. It's one thing to be kind-hearted; it's another to let someone so abusive to stay with you."

"Callie, I really want for you and your parents to become a family again. And I want to be the bigger person and open up my home- no, _our_ home- to them. If they need a place to stay, they're welcome. If they would prefer to stay somewhere else, I won't take offense. I'd just thought that maybe it would be a good thing for you to have them around for a little while. I know how much you miss them between visits."

"We'll see, Erica." Callie leaned over and pecked Erica on the cheek. "You're absolutely amazing. I can't thank you enough for even thinking of all of that."

"You're welcome." Erica said, giving Callie a genuine smile and taking her hand into her own.

The two were sitting in a comfortable silence when Cristina Yang came in to do rounds. "Good morning Callie, Dr. Hahn." Cristina said crisply. "Callie, your mother had a good night last night. Today we're going to try her on some solid foods and if she feels up to it, I'd like to get her at least sitting up out of bed, if not walking for a few minutes."

"Thanks Cristina, that sounds great." Callie watched as her mother was woken by Cristina. Callie had to keep her gaze fixed on the ground because she almost laughed at the total lack of bedside manner Cristina displayed in waking her mother. Callie understood the need to be professional, but Cristina really took it to the extreme. Callie had never once woken a patient during rounds by poking the patient in the shoulder and practically yelling in their face, but that was precisely what Cristina did.

"Good morning, Mrs. Torres!" Cristina barked, less than six inches from Callie's mother's face.

Erica wrinkled her brow when she saw Mrs. Torres jump up out of a deep sleep, and she bit her lip from saying anything when she saw the start increase in heart rate on the monitor besides the bed. Cristina had essentially just scared the daylights out of Mrs. Torres and now she was going to take her pulse and blood pressure? They were both going to be through the roof! "Dr. Yang, might I suggest that you wait a moment before you take Mrs. Torres' vitals?"

Cristina looked at Dr. Hahn with a confused expression. She had other patients to attend to, she didn't have time to sit and chat this morning, even if those patients were screaming three- and four-year-olds down in pediatrics. "Dr. Hahn?" Cristina asked, unsure of why she was being asked to refrain from taking the patient's vital signs.

"Dr. Yang, you startled the patient when you woke her up. As a result, her pulse and blood pressure are going to be abnormally high. I saw the monitors when we walked in this morning, and her stats were at least ten percent lower before you tried to scare her half to death."

"Oh." Cristina mumbled, stepping back and looking at Mrs. Torres, who was glaring at her. "Excuse me, Mrs. Torres. I didn't mean to startle you."

Callie's mother grunted before she turned and looked over at Callie, giving her a warm smile. "Good morning, mija."

"Hi mom!" Callie grinned from ear to ear. "How did you sleep?"

"I was actually rather comfortable until just a moment ago." Turning towards Cristina, Mrs. Torres gave her a half-smile before continuing. "Perhaps you'd like to carry an air horn with you, doctor. You might find it a faster and more efficient way of waking your patients."

Cristina actually blushed. "I'm sorry Mrs. Torres. I really didn't mean to startle you."

"Well, tomorrow's another day. Perhaps you'll do better then." Maria rolled onto her back and offered her arm to Cristina so that she could place the blood pressure cuff around it. Cristina took the vitals with skilled ease and marked everything down in the chart at the foot of the bed.

"Mrs. Torres, if you feel up to it today, we'd like to get you at least sitting up outside of bed. Perhaps even taking a few steps around the room. Also, we'd like to try you on solid food today. The sooner we get your strength back up, the sooner we can send you home from here."

"That would be nice, Doctor...?"

"Yang. Cristina Yang."

"Thank you, Dr. Yang. Now, if we're through, I'd like to catch up a bit with my daughter."

"Certainly, Mrs. Torres. I'll be back throughout the day today to check on you." And with that, Cristina headed out and towards her dreaded pediatrics rounds.

Truth be told, Maria Torres had not been sleeping when Cristina Yang had walked in. Cristina had indeed scared the living daylights out of her, but it was because she had been lying there with her eyes closed, listening to Callie converse with Erica. She didn't know Cristina was approaching and her rough manner had truly frightened her. She was frustrated by the interruption because she was enjoying listening to Callie speak with Erica. Erica wanted her to come and stay with them, despite everything that had gone on a few days prior. That showed good character, and it showed how much she cared about Callie. She liked Erica already, but was still unsure of how to handle her being Callie's lover.

"Mrs. Torres, please allow me to apologize on behalf of Dr. Yang. She's my student, but I haven't really had the opportunity to give her remedial lessons in bedside manner." Erica said with a weak smile.

"She's your student, Erica?" Maria Torres attempted to start a neutral conversation as she turned her attention to the blond sitting next to Callie, and took in both the sight of their hands (which now rested in Callie's lap) and the glaring bruise on the blonde's cheek. Little did she know that Cristina Yang was anything but a neutral conversation topic.

"Yes, Mrs. Torres."

"So you allowed her to help with my surgery?"

"Actually, Mrs. Torres, I was incapacitated while giving you CPR. As a result, I was unable to perform your surgery. Dr. Yang did your surgery under the supervision of the surgical chief, Dr. Richard Webber."

"You were incapacitated? Is that- is that when you received your injury?" Mrs. Torres was referring to the bruise that Erica so desperately wished she had been able to cover up with makeup this morning.

Erica turned a fierce shade of red when she responded. "Yes, Mrs. Torres. But Dr. Yang has been taking excellent care of you, despite her antics this morning." Unconsciously, Erica's hand went to her cheek and rested on the bruise there. The bone underneath was still fractured; it would be weeks before it healed, but she was faring well despite it. Erica tried to think of something else to talk about, anything else than the topic of Callie's father and how he came to give her a concussion.

"I had no idea that CPR could be so... dangerous." Maria replied, clearly expecting more of an explanation from Erica.

Sensing Erica's distress, Callie jumped in. "Mom, Dad kicked Erica in the face when she leaned down to do rescue breathing on you. He knocked her out, fractured her cheekbone, and gave her a concussion so bad that she spent the night of your surgery as an inpatient here. She also spent last night in the emergency room due to post-concussion syndrome." Callie ignored the gasp that game from her mother. "Erica has been on medical leave and will be until next week, because she cannot perform surgery with a concussion. Despite that, she's been monitoring your care and making sure that you are all right. She's also been taking care of me while she's been hurt, making sure that I'm all right too."

"Your father did that to her?" Maria asked, astounded at the news.

"Yes. He became so violent that he had to be removed from the room by hospital security, and when they could not control him, the police were called in. He was arrested and spent the night in a holding cell."

Eyes wide, Maria looked from her daughter to Erica and back to Callie again. "I don't know what to say..." Maria began. "Erica, my husband is not a friendly man, but I've never known him to become violent. I'm-" Maria shook her head, unbelieving what she'd just heard. "I'm sorry for what he did to you. No one deserves that."

"It's all right, Mrs. Torres. I'm sure that if you had been awake, you would not have allowed the situation to spiral so far out of control."

"It's not right. Has he apologized to you?" Maria asked.

"No, Mrs. Torres. But I haven't gone out of my way to place myself in your husband's good graces, either. My concern is with the way he treats your daughter. I have a tendency to speak what's on my mind, and when he hurts your daughter, I don't hold back. That's wrong too. I'm sorry for that as well."

"Don't be sorry for defending my daughter." Maria looked at Erica, and was happy with what she saw. This woman had obviously taken both physical and verbal abuse from Callie's father, but she was still glued to Callie's side. She seemed honest and dedicated. Looking to Callie, Maria asked, "Is there anything else that I should know about?"

"Not really, mom. We don't need to talk so much about that stuff. There are so many other things to talk about."

"Calliope, if something else went on while I was sleeping, I would like to know about it."

"Dad just won't speak to me. When he does, he does nothing but yell at me. I can understand why, but he won't even give me a chance to make things right. He's completely cut me out of his life, emotionally, physically, and even financially. I can live without the finances, but I want my dad back. The dad I grew up with- not this guy who has taken his place."

"Ah, mija. No one ever said that this was going to be easy." Maria said.

Erica grinned, and Maria was puzzled. "Is something funny, Erica?"

"Your daughter told me the same thing in the elevator this morning, when I was nervous about meeting you. I was just…" Erica paused, trying to show that she wasn't making fun of the two of them. "I was just impressed by how similar you and Callie are."

"Well, she is my daughter." Maria said as she smiled at Callie. "And we'll work together on getting her father to come around. All three of us, won't we?"

All Callie and Erica could do was beam with happiness. It wasn't going to be easy to win over Jesus Torres, but it was clear that the two of them now had a third ally in the fight.


	55. Walking

**A/N:** We're going to get into a little bit of drama in the next few chapters before the story winds down to a completion. This chapter is mainly fluff but the next few will be rather serious. I hope you're ready for it! :)

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"So Mrs. Torres, what would you like to do today?" Erica walked in to the private room where Callie's mother was recuperating without Callie. It had been nearly two weeks since Callie's mother had been moved there and her medical progress had been fantastic. "We can go for a walk if you'd like, or we can wait for Callie to get here before we go. It's up to you."

"Hi Erica," Maria smiled up at Erica from the bed but then turned her attention to the door. "Where's Calliope?"

"She's going to come in a little later today, Mrs. Torres. She got paged to a trauma this morning and she's going to be in surgery for a little while. I hope you don't mind me coming in without her. I figured you wouldn't want to spend the morning alone." Erica and Callie had been spending mornings with Callie's mother and Callie's father had been spending the evenings there. A week ago, Callie had returned to work and had been working mostly night shifts so that her mornings were free to spend with her mother. Erica was still sidelined due to her post-concussion syndrome, but she was scheduled to return to work tomorrow, provided her latest MRI came back clear. The last two MRIs still showed evidence of concussion, and it was starting to frustrate Erica more than the incessant headaches were. It was now nearly a month since Erica had last performed a surgery and most evenings found her down in the morgue harvesting cadaver hearts just to keep her fingers nimble. The Chief had at least let her start back up on consults last week, but everyone at that hospital knew that it was surgery that Erica thrived for. Callie hadn't stopped apologizing for how long Erica had been kept out of surgery, as if it was somehow her fault.

"She loves her traumas." Maria laughed and pointed to the chair across from her. "Take a seat, Erica."

"Thanks." Erica made herself comfortable. She'd been shocked but thrilled that Mrs. Torres had taken a liking to her. It was easy to see that she was still struggling with Erica's roll in Callie's life, but she had accepted her anyway, and conversation between the two of them was coming easier and easier. Unfortunately, none of them had made any progress with Callie's father, but they were still trying. "So Callie told me last night that you studied to be an anesthesiologist. That's great! Where did you practice?"

"Actually, I studied up until I was a second year resident. Then I got pregnant with Callie and I decided I wanted to stay home with her. I wasn't thrilled with the field I'd chosen and motherhood seemed to be the path I wanted to take, so I gave it up."

"You gave it up?" Erica asked, unable to hide the incredulity in her question.

Smiling at Erica's reaction, Maria replied, "Yes. I gave it up. It didn't mean the same thing to me that your career means to you, Erica. It wasn't hard for me to leave it behind. Callie became my life; I loved being a mother to her."

"You don't-" Erica stopped, hoping she misheard what Maria said. "You don't love being a mother to her anymore?"

"Oh, no, Erica, no. Of course I still love being a mother to Callie, not that she's made it easy for me the last few weeks. What I meant was that at the time of her birth, I loved being a full-time mom. I loved watching her grow up, and I loved seeing the world through her eyes."

"Mrs. Torres, I know that none of this has been easy for you. I just, I want you to know that I love your daughter very much, and neither of us ever wanted to make things difficult for you or your husband. Not a day has gone by that I haven't woken up thinking about the wedge I've driven between the three of you, but I just can't walk away from Callie. I love her. I live and breathe for her. She really is my soul mate. But I did tell Callie, more than once, that if it came down to it, I'd want her to choose the two of you rather than be miserable without her family."

"Callie appears to be far from miserable with you, Erica." Maria smiled and patted Erica's hand. "And I admire your honesty. She's absolutely crazy about you. I had suspicions when I would speak to her on the phone, because you were all she would ever talk about. Where the two of you went, what the two of you did, what your days were like together... I feel like I've known you for a long time because Callie would tell me such wonderful things about you. You really did save her after that divorce from George. She was broken and alone, and as much as I wanted to help her, she needed someone new in her life. You've done wonders for her confidence."

"Thank you." Erica said, blushing.

"As for me..." Maria sighed as she continued. "I can see how much you care for Callie and how much Callie cares for you. Anyone who would stick around after the weeks you've been through is in this relationship for the long haul. And I'm working on accepting your relationship with my daughter. I was always taught that homosexuality was wrong, but looking at the two of you, it's hard to believe that. It's just... hard to unlearn what you've been taught for so long."

"I understand. Thank you for giving us a chance. Thank you for realizing how much I love your daughter." Erica couldn't have been happier. In her own way, Maria Torres had just accepted her. It was unbelievable, but it had happened. She couldn't wait to tell Callie all about it.

"Callie tells me that you're a very successful surgeon, Erica." Maria said, steering the conversation in another direction before things got too awkward.

"I'm good at what I do, but there's always something new to be learned." Erica said, trying not to brag and trying not to dwell on the fact that it had been an agonizing month without surgery.

"Oh, come now. Callie says you're the best in your field, that heart surgery is your entire life"

"I am." Erica blushed. "But my career isn't my priority in life anymore. I mean, it's still really important to me, but Callie is my number one priority in life."

"That's sweet." Maria said.

"It's true. Mrs. Torres, I may have helped Callie get through her divorce with George, but your daughter taught me how to live. Being a great surgeon is one thing, but sharing my life with Callie has been the greatest gift anyone has ever given me."

"How did your parents react to your relationship with Callie?" Maria asked.

"They don't know, Mrs. Torres. But it's not because we're hiding it from them. I haven't had contact with my parents since medical school. I wasn't fortunate enough to have the kind of relationship with my parents that Callie had with you and your husband, Mrs. Torres."

"Oh, I'm sorry."

"I'm learning to get over it. Callie and I are going to be our own family. And we both hope that you and Mr. Torres will want to be a part of it."

"I'm concerned about Jesus, Erica. He doesn't seem to want to try. I talk to him every day, but he won't tolerate it. He got up and left last night when I brought up Callie. He wants to go home; he says he has business to attend to. He says he's wasting his time here."

Erica's face fell. This wasn't a good sign at all. Once Callie's father left, if he left in the state he was in now, he'd never come back, and that would absolutely kill Callie. "He doesn't want to stay? Not even for you, Mrs. Torres?"

"No Erica, I'm afraid not." The sadness in Maria's eyes mirrored the sadness in Erica's. "I'm going to try to convince him to stay again tonight, but I'm not confident that he's going to listen. He hasn't listened to me at all. He's not the same man. I don't know where my husband went, but this is not him."

"I'm so sorry, Mrs. Torres." Erica couldn't think of anything else to say. Had she unwittingly become a home wrecker? Had she unknowingly severed Callie's relationship with her father and Callie's parents' marriage at the same time? It took Erica everything she had in her not to burst into tears. Erica Hahn had grown up in a broken home, she knew better than to break someone else's. She leaned back in the chair and rubbed the heels of her hands against her eyes.

"Erica," Callie's mother said, sitting up in the bed and gently pulling Erica's hands down from her eyes. "No one could have known that this would have been the outcome. You could not have known this, and even if you did somehow know that things would turn out this way, I'd be angry with you if you had let it dictate your relationship with my daughter. All I am asking of you is that you care for my daughter. Love her and protect her, because no matter what we do, she's losing her father and she is going to need you more than ever."

"What about you, Mrs. Torres?"

"What about me?"

"Are you losing a husband too?"

"Erica, don't worry about that. My marriage is for me and my husband to work out. Things are not going to be easy. But I'll work on my marriage and you work on keeping your relationship with Callie as perfect as it is."

"I can't handle the guilt. It's tearing me up inside. This is too much. I just want to love Callie… why does that make everyone else's lives so difficult?" Erica was almost yelling.

"Then love her, Erica. Love her the way you wish to be loved and don't worry about anyone other than the two of you."

"You know I can't do that, Mrs. Torres. So much of Callie's happiness rests with the two of you. The fact that you gave us a chance gave her so much hope. I can't not worry about you and Mr. Torres because the two of you are an intrinsic part of Callie and her happiness."

Maria sighed. "My marriage isn't an easy one. Jesus, he's not the easiest person to get along with. There have been other rocky times in our marriage as well. In the past he's always come crawling back after a fight that usually he started. Though I've been guilty of a few myself." Maria gave a half-smile. "We'll work it out, in time. And maybe we'll even get him to come around when it comes to the two of you, too."

"One of the things I wanted to speak to you about today is your discharge, Mrs. Torres. You know that you're going to be well enough soon to leave the hospital, but it will be a while before it will be safe for you to take a cross-country flight. Callie and I have been talking about it and we'd like to invite you to stay with us while you finish healing. Mr. Torres is welcome too, but, well..." Erica trailed off.

"I'm honored, Erica. But won't it be, ah, awkward?"

"We don't want you to feel uncomfortable, and I can completely understand if you don't want to stay in our house, but let me tell you that Callie's really got her hopes pinned on you coming to stay with us. And I'd like to have you there too. The guest bedroom downstairs is nice and spacious. You'd have your own bathroom, and there's a little patio outside of your room if you want to sit outside. You'd have plenty of privacy, if that's what you want, but we're welcoming you into our home so that you can get to see that we're just as normal as anyone else."

"I didn't mean to say that this wasn't normal, I'm sorry if I gave you that impression. By awkward I meant that my being there could take away from some of yours and Callie's privacy. It's like... it's like taking your mother along for the honeymoon."

Erica blushed before she became full-out scarlet. "Ah, I see. Um, without giving you too much information... Callie and I have calmed down a bit from that 'honeymoon' stage. We can certainly, uh, you know... keep our hands off of each other while you're staying with us, if that makes you feel better." Erica didn't have the heart to tell Mrs. Torres that the 'honeymoon phase' was still alive and very, very well, but because of Callie's schedule and the time they were spending at the hospital, most of their intimate moments had been stolen in on-call rooms over the past two weeks. They just couldn't help themselves- as much as Erica despised the fact that she'd allowed herself to have sex in an on call room, having it there and risking the wrath of Richard Webber was still better than not having it at all.

Seeing how embarrassed Erica was, Maria did her best to calm her. "I'd really like that, Erica. Callie and I haven't had much mother-daughter time since she came out here. I'd like to catch up with her, and I'd like to continue to get to know you, too."

Relieved, Erica beamed a bright smile. "Mrs. Torres, you don't know how happy you just made me. And Callie! She'll be so excited to hear that you'd like to stay with us!"

"There's just one thing, Erica. If I come to stay with the two of you, you've got to start calling me Maria. I can't stay in your home and keep up with the titles. I'm Maria. You're Erica. Got it?"

"Got it." Erica smiled. "So how about that walk?"

"Let's go." Maria said, as she pushed herself up off of the bed, and allowed Erica to loop one arm around her back while she used the other to push the IV pole. "Race you to the nurse's station, Erica…" Maria joked, knowing quite well that she hadn't recuperated that much yet.

Erica laughed, and together they walked the hallway.


	56. Leaving

**A/N:** Warning, major plot twist coming in the next few chapters. I figured I'd wrap this story up on an exciting note. Be prepared to break out the tissues! :D

Thanks to all of you who have read and left such wonderful reviews so far! They mean so much to me!

* * *

Callie approached the wing where her mother was staying with a bounce in her step. There was just something about successful trauma surgeries that gave her such a high. She couldn't wait to tell her mom and Erica all about her latest one. Her patient had fallen from a ladder, amazingly landing on his feet, but his ankles and knees had not come through the landing very well. In addition to open reduction, internal fixation on both ankles, she'd done a total knee replacement on the patient's left leg and a successful patellar reconstruction on the right knee. It would be a while before the patient would be back up and about, but at least the patient would walk again. Arriving outside of her mother's room, she glanced in and saw that it was empty. Callie figured Erica was walking the halls with her mother and she felt a little higher, a little bouncier knowing that Erica had endeared herself to her mother and her mother had accepted Erica's role in Callie's life with minimal resistance. The first few days had been hard for all of them- there were awkward moments and uncomfortable silences, but they'd gotten through all of that. Callie could see that her mother had taken a genuine liking to Erica, and that Erica was slowly learning to trust Callie's mother. This was quite a breakthrough for Erica, because after her own experiences, it was difficult for her to trust any kind of mother figure. Callie beamed at the thought of it.

Turning the corner at the end of the hall, Erica was supporting Callie's mother with one hand and pushing her IV pole with the other. They were deep in conversation, heads bowed together and both were unaware that Callie was observing them from outside of the room where Callie's mother was staying. It wasn't until they were just a few feet from Callie that Callie could hear bits of their conversation.

"Well, we'll tell her that you're coming to stay with us. That will make her happy. We don't have to tell her that he's leaving yet, we can wait until tomorrow when you're discharged to tell her." Erica had been speaking quietly, but the deep timbre of her voice had carried across the few feet separating Callie from her mother and Erica.

"Who's leaving?" Callie asked, interrupting them. She already knew who they were talking about, her happy mood all but completely dissipating and her fears confirmed when both women looked up at her in guilty surprise.

"_Hola_, mija," Maria said, cupping Callie's face in her hands and giving her a peck on the cheek. "Erica was telling me you had a trauma surgery this morning. How did it go?"

"Daddy is leaving?" Callie asked, completely ignoring her mother's warm greeting and her weak attempt at distracting Callie. "He's leaving you here? Alone?"

"_Si_, mija." Maria confirmed, shaking her head sadly. "He's decided he needs to go back to work. But Erica spoke to me and told me that you'd like me to stay with the two of you after I'm discharged. I'd really like that- we have a lot of catching up to do and-"

"He's just going to walk out of your life now too, mom? And you're going to let him?" Callie asked, angry and frustrated over the lack of progress that she'd made with her father in the weeks since he'd arrived here. She's tried, she really had. All of them had tried, but her father had been as unmoving as a mountain. He'd leave the room when Callie walked in and he'd refused to sit with her so she could speak to him, even without Erica there. In the rare moments when he did speak, it was usually to fling an insult at her or to remind her of the eternal damnation that he was so sure awaited her. Her mother had been bringing Callie up in their conversations every chance she had- she'd told her as much- in an effort to bring him around. And Erica, sweet Erica, had reigned in every bit of her anger and distrust around Callie's father so that she could speak with him civilly, despite the fact that she'd told Callie in private that every breath she'd taken around him felt like she was breathing in a noxious gas.

"Calliope, he wants to go. And if he wants to go, I cannot stop him. He and I will have plenty of time to work out our differences when I go home in a few weeks, and perhaps he'll have some time alone to think about what he said and did here and the mistakes that he has made. Right now I would like to get better so I can be strong when I go home, and so I can have the strength to work this out with him."

Erica knew the look on Callie's face. It was the look she got right before she started to cry so hard that she'd hyperventilate. The last time Callie hyperventilated, she vomited, so Erica jumped into action, hoping to avoid a scene and a mess in the hallway. "Maria, please, let's get you back into bed. Callie's going to need to sit down too." Gently steering both women and the IV pole back into the room, Erica helped Maria back onto the bed. Callie sat on the edge next to her mother, burying her head in her hands as her shoulders started to shake as she sobbed. Maria rubbed her back, whispering words of love and encouragement to her daughter, but there were really no words to ease the finality of it all. Their combined efforts had been futile; Jesus Torres was leaving. Callie Torres no longer had a father to speak of. The weight of this knowledge crushed them all, but none more so than Callie.

"Callie, just because he's leaving doesn't mean that the two of you won't work it out." Erica whispered, bending down near the bed and wiping away her tears. "This isn't over yet, so don't give up."

"But it is over, Erica. Because when he leaves, he's not coming back. He'll wait for my mother to come home to him- he won't come back here to get her. And I won't see him again. It _is_ over, Erica."

"Calliope, just because he's leaving doesn't mean that you won't see him again. You will see him when you and Erica come to visit me."

"How can we come to visit you? You know he won't let me into his house."

"Ah, but Callie, mija, my love… you forget one thing…"

Callie waited, her eyebrows raised in expectant curiosity.

"It's not _his_ house. It's _my_ house." Maria grinned.

"Oh?" Callie asked, surprised.

"Your daddy worked hard to make his money, there's no doubt about that. But the house, and the property we own, that's all mine. My father gave that to me for my wedding gift."

"I didn't know that." Callie said, surprised at the secret her mother had just told her.

"We sold off a portion of the property a few years into our marriage so your daddy could start his business. But my point is that even if your father leaves, you're still welcome in _my_ home. And I do hope that the two of you will come and visit me, as often as you can."

"Of course we will, Maria." Erica said, surprising herself and Callie with how readily she was willing to go and visit. "I'd love to see where Callie grew up and hear more about her childhood." Erica said to Maria, but in response to Callie's reaction. "And I hope you know that you're always welcome in our home, too."

"_Gracias,_ Erica." Maria said as she hugged the two women to her. "Now, let's talk about something cheerful. Erica says I'm being discharged soon. Is it really true that you want me to stay with you, Calliope?"

"Yes mom. I would really love it if you came and stayed with us. I've been setting up the guestroom for you downstairs for the last week. It's all ready for you, and I think you'll really like it. And when you're ready to come home, I'm going to take some time off from work so we can spend it together. I'll help you get your strength back up and we can catch up on with one another when Erica finally takes her lazy butt back to work."

"Hey- it's not like I'm staying out of work on purpose!" Erica protested, with a smile on her face. She really, truly had missed surgery these past few weeks, but spending this time with Callie had been priceless. She also knew that Callie would really benefit from having her mother around for a few weeks after her father returned home. Secretly, Erica also hoped that Maria would include her in some of her and Callie's activities while she was there, because she was finally starting to see what it was like to have a real mother who cared about her and what went on in her life.

"I know you just can't wait to get back into a surgery." Callie said, smiling and patting Erica's hand.

"It's true: I can't wait to go back to doing surgery. These past few weeks have been hard, because I've never gone so long without a surgery before. But being on medical leave has taught me a few things too, and I wouldn't have had it any other way." Erica said to ease the discomfort on Maria's face.

Maria knew that it had been Jesus and his kick that had kept Erica from working for so long. The complications from her post-concussion syndrome had nearly cost Erica her career. Thankfully, the headaches were going away and Erica was no longer experiencing episodes of dizziness, nausea and fatigue like she had been in the days following her visit to the emergency room. Richard had kept her from doing surgery as a precaution after her first post-concussion MRI came back abnormal, but he was allowing her to do basic consults and follow up care. Doing consults had been soothing for Erica, but hadn't completely numbed the need she had for going elbow deep into a patient's chest. At the same time, Erica knew she'd miss Callie terribly her first few days back at work full-time. Meanwhile, she was so desperate for a surgery that she was considering opening up Jesus Torres without anesthesia to see if he still had a heart. She laughed inwardly at the thought and then turned her attention back to Callie and her mother, and their plans to take her home with them.


	57. Lies

**A/N:** And so the drama ensues. I promised a plot twist, and it's coming. One last set of interesting events before I work this story to a suitable ending. ;)

* * *

"So you're just going to leave in the middle of the night, without so much as a goodbye to anyone?" Erica's voice startled Jesus. He had just placed his last suitcase in the trunk of the rental car and was preparing to return to the airport in order to catch the red-eye flight back to Miami. He never expected the blond haired doctor to enter his field of vision, standing beside the driver's side door to the rental as he closed the lid of the trunk.

"I said goodbye to my wife. She knows I'm leaving. I'm sure she probably told you, since you know I'm leaving."

"Why sneak out like this? Are you physically incapable of doing the right thing?" Erica demanded, ignoring yet another barb from Jesus.

"And what, in your mangled perception of reality, would be the right thing here, doctor?"

"At the very least, saying goodbye to your daughter. At the very most, making amends with her." Erica looked down at Jesus Torres, trying to put the pieces of the puzzle together, looking for a clue as to what she could say to make him stay here. She knew she had just moments before he took off and out of Callie's life for good. She needed to make him see what his departure would do to Callie. She wasn't sure she'd be able to, and she feared failing Callie. "What is it, really, that makes you hate Callie so much, Mr. Torres? Because I just don't understand it. She's your daughter- your own flesh and blood, and she loves you more than life itself. How can you possibly hate her?"

"It's easy to do when someone hurts you so much. I would have thought, based on what your own parents did to you, that you'd understand that."

Erica had a hard time keeping her face passive. How did he know about her parents? The only logical conclusion was that Callie had told Maria, and Maria had told Jesus. Either that or her investigator was playing both sides of the fence, something that he'd deeply regret if it was true. "My parents cut me out of their lives before I could even get in to it. They never wanted me. I was a hindrance, a mistake and a disappointment. The situation is quite different from what you have with Callie."

"Actually, doctor, there is a similarity that you're either missing or that you refuse to acknowledge. I'm very disappointed in Callie. She didn't listen to me. She's-"

"She's a grown woman who no longer needs to take instructions from her father on how to live her life, Mr. Torres. You raised her, now let her live her life as she sees fit."

"That's precisely what I'm doing."

The bastard had a point and it would probably kill Erica to admit it. He was letting Callie live her life by stepping out of it. Erica rubbed her eyes. She was exhausted from today's events. It was approaching midnight and she'd snuck out of the house, leaving a sleeping Callie alone in their bed. She'd given Callie a Xanax before they'd turned in for the night, hoping it would both calm her and keep her asleep as Erica tried one final time to bring Callie and her father back together. Callie had been physically exhausted by her shift at work and the emotional overload that had been placed on her that morning. It was unlikely that she would have awoken while Erica was away, but Erica was afraid of being discovered missing and causing Callie further upset. Right now, Erica was wishing that it had been her who had taken the Xanax. On top of everything that had gone on today, Erica had her MRI the following morning. That single medical test would determine Erica's future as a doctor. Would she remain a surgeon, or would the injuries inflicted by the man in front of her prevent her from operating ever again? Looking at Jesus, Erica felt herself fill with contempt for the man, but she tried again anyway. "Mr. Torres, you are going to regret this night for the rest of your life. Don't do this. Stay here, even if it's just for your wife. Your wife needs you. Callie needs you. Your _daughter_ needs you."

"Maria seems to think that she's in good hands with you and my daughter. Anything that could have concerned me while I was here has been attended to. My work needs me, and that's where I'm going. Back home. Back to where there is some semblance of normalcy and calm. Good night, doctor." Jesus made a shooing motion with his hand as he stepped towards the door to the car. Taking her cue from Jesus, Erica stepped away from the rental and walked back to her own car, head down in defeat.

Pulling up in front of the house, Erica thought better of putting the car back into the garage. She left it in the driveway, afraid that the rumble of the electric garage door opener would alert Callie to her return. If Callie woke up, there would be too many questions for her to answer and too much disappointment for Erica to impart upon her. Locking the car doors manually to prevent the car alarm from setting and making too much noise, Erica walked to the front door and let herself in. She took off her shoes at the front door and carried them with her to the bedroom, afraid that even the rubber soles of her sandals would somehow make too much noise on the hardwood floors. Creeping in to the bedroom, Erica eased open the door and looked in. She watched the even rising and falling of Callie's chest in the light from over the garage that poured through the bedroom window. She toe-walked to the closet and dropped her shoes quietly on her side of the shoe rack. Returning to the dresser, Erica realized that she still had her car keys in her hand. Because she hadn't come in through the garage, she had forgotten to place the keys on the key rack by the garage door. Too exhausted to walk back downstairs, Erica dropped the keys onto the dresser before she even realized what she was doing. In the quiet of the room, the sound of the keys hitting the wood of the dresser was deafening. Instantly, Erica whipped around to see if the noise had woken Callie. In the milliseconds that it had taken her to turn, Callie had already sat up in bed.

"Where were you?" Callie asked, her voice draped with exhaustion.

"I uh, got a page. A trauma, and Yang had already surpassed the 80-hour rule."

"You didn't get paged, your pager is still here, and it's off. You're on medical leave." Callie motioned to the nightstand next to Erica's side of the bed, where her pager sat, turned off because she wasn't on call.

"No, really, Callie, I got a page and I went to answer it." Erica couldn't tell Callie that she'd failed her, that she'd been unsuccessful in convincing Jesus to stay. She just couldn't disappoint Callie by breaking the news to her that her father had taken off in the middle of the night. Erica Hahn was used to getting what she wanted, whether it was through hard work or simply based on her influence as a physician. Tonight, she felt like an enormous failure. She couldn't let Callie know that she'd failed her. Failing herself was something she could live with, because she knew that next time she'd work so much harder in order to change the outcome of the situation. Failing Callie was an impossibility she'd never allowed herself to imagine and now she was completely unprepared for the aftermath.

"Then why were you only gone for a half an hour?" Callie pressed.

Thinking quickly, Erica replied, "I had to call it, the patient was DOA."

"Stop lying to me, Erica!" Callie screamed suddenly, scaring Erica with the intensity of her voice. "You didn't go to the hospital. You couldn't have gotten anywhere close to the hospital in a half an hour, let alone to the hospital, calling a 'dead on arrival' and coming back. I know where you went."

"You do?" Erica asked, afraid of what Callie would think of her for lying.

"You went to try and stop him from leaving."

Erica dropped her head, ashamed at both her attempt to lie to Callie and her failure at keeping Jesus in town with his wife and daughter. She spread her hands out in front of her in a meager gesture to try and explain herself, but she couldn't find the words. Instead, Callie continued speaking.

"He left anyway, didn't he?"

Nodding, Erica's voice trembled when she next spoke. "I'm sorry Callie. I tried. He was already packed and had his car started by the time I got there. I tried to talk to him, to stop him from going. I really did."

"Why would you lie to me, Erica?" Callie asked, her voice harsh.

"I didn't know how to tell you that he left. I couldn't be the one to disappoint you."

"So you'd rather lie to me about it?" Callie snapped. "I just lost my father. I don't need to find out that my girlfriend is a liar on the same night!"

"I didn't mean it Callie, I'm sorry."

"That's bullshit, Erica. You and my mother were planning on not telling me at all that he was leaving tonight, and it took me walking in on your plan-making to find out. All day today you've done nothing but lie to me and cover things up. You're just as bad as he is." Callie whispered, referring to her father.

"I'm sorry." Erica didn't know what else to say. She'd left that night to try and fix things for Callie. She'd lied because she couldn't bear the thought of disappointing Callie. She'd wound up hurting her anyway. She just stood there, looking at Callie and whispering her apologies over and over again.

"Come back to bed, Erica." Callie's voice, like her face, was devoid of any emotion. She was disgusted by the Erica that stood before her and she couldn't look at her standing like that for another second. In the blink of an eye, the warmth that usually filled Callie's eyes disappeared. There was no acknowledgment of what Erica had tried to do. Instead, Callie's brain repeated the cold, hard facts over and over again. Her father had left. He hadn't bothered to say goodbye. He wasn't coming back. He had abandoned her mother when she needed him and turned towards his work instead. And in the end, he had turned Erica into a liar. He had turned her into someone who would rather lie than disappoint.

As Erica stripped off her clothes and crawled under the covers, Callie settled back down on the pillows and turned her back to Erica. She closed her eyes, but did not sleep. She let Erica wrap her arms around her and listened to her whispered pleas for forgiveness, but wouldn't take Erica's hand and hold it against her chest, like she usually did. She made no effort to snuggle into Erica's embrace. It felt better to just let the icy despondency envelope her instead of facing the truth- Erica was a liar and her father was gone.

Later, when Erica realized that Callie didn't want to be held, she rolled away and faced the wall on the other side of the bed. Callie made no effort to comfort Erica as she cried, her ragged breathing the only sign that she was crying at all.

After what felt like ages, when neither of them had been able to fall asleep, Callie spat out the words, "You lied to me like I'm some stupid child. Don't you ever lie to me again. Don't ever put yourself into a situation where you need to lie to me. You're not the person I thought you were."

Erica's silent sobs renewed themselves. She had given up on trying to apologize. Hours later, when the sun rose in the sky, neither of them had slept. A new day had come, but it brought no hope with it.


	58. Empty

**A/N:** Break out the tissues. I hope this goes over well, as far as the writing is concerned. I re-wrote this chapter a couple of times with the hope of getting the full dramatic effect in there... but I don't know how well I did. If you don't like it, tell me, but please be gentle! :)

* * *

When her alarm clock sounded at 5:00, Erica sat up in bed, already wide awake. She hadn't slept last night. She knew Callie hadn't either. The two of them had lain there, physically just a few inches apart but emotionally miles away from one another. Erica was supposed to have another MRI early that morning, and the results would determine whether or not Erica could return to doing surgeries. She'd been trying not to admit it to herself, but she was fairly sure that if her MRI was abnormal again, Richard would never let her return to doing surgeries. He simply couldn't risk letting Erica do high-risk procedures if there was any possibility that she could collapse or suffer any sort of epileptic episode. Although her post-concussion syndrome had been limited to just headaches, dizziness, nausea and fatigue, there was always a chance that she could suffer an epileptic episode if her brain did not properly heal. No one was willing to risk that episode taking place in an operating room with a patient open and exposed on the table. In Richard's shoes, Erica knew she would not let a doctor who could be physically compromised into an operating room either.

Erica had been trying to push the possibility of never again seeing the inside of an OR out of her thoughts for weeks while she concentrated on Callie and her family, but the day of reckoning had come. She'd been unable to talk to Callie about the problems she was facing because Callie had been facing so many of her own. She knew that if she was unable to return to doing surgeries, that Callie would blame herself for the problem. Weeks had passed but Callie still apologized to Erica for her father's actions as if she had somehow been the one to kick Erica instead of her father.

Erica knew her lies to Callie last night had been a mistake. She should have just admitted that she had failed in trying to get Jesus to stay, but she couldn't. Failure had never been an option for Erica Hahn, and now Erica was facing too many failures all at once. Last night it had just been easier to lie about her activities than it would have been to face the truth: she'd failed Callie, the one person in life she'd promised herself she'd never let down. Then, when she'd returned home, she'd failed at getting Callie to understand her motives, and failed yet again when Callie wouldn't heed her apologies. Her next failure would be losing her ability to perform heart surgeries. Even her own body was a failure, unable to heal the wound that had been delivered so many weeks ago. Erica knew that if the past few weeks hadn't been filled with so much bliss, she would have regretted letting Callie into her life. Erica realized that she had another potential failure on her hands now too: the loss of Callie's trust and subsequently of her love.

For weeks, Erica longed to talk to Callie about her fears. Callie was, after all, her best friend. Or she had been, up until last night. Shouldering the burden of her medical issues all alone had been both physically and emotionally exhausting to Erica, but she'd ignored the exhaustion in favor of trying to win Callie's parents back into Callie's life. The buildup was starting to get to be too much though, and she really needed an outlet. Normally, Callie would have been that outlet, but after last night that was no longer a possibility. She'd never seen Callie like she was last night. Callie had been cold and cruel, shutting down her emotions and locking out Erica completely, Erica couldn't understand if Callie was mad at her for failing to keep Jesus in town, or if she was mad at her for lying about it, or for both.

Erica had briefly considered making an appointment with Dr. Wyatt that afternoon, before she realized that Dr. Wyatt was on vacation for the next two weeks. Erica swallowed the lump in her throat as she realized that she was once again all alone with her problems. Before Callie, Erica would have just fought through it all, burying the issues deep in the back recesses of her brain as she threw herself deeper into her work. After Callie had come along, Erica had turned to her as a sounding board, and later as a shoulder to cry upon. At this very moment, Erica was unable to push her problems away, and she didn't have Callie to turn to for help. After this morning, there was a strong possibility that she also wouldn't have her work to throw herself into anymore either.

Sighing, Erica let her thoughts wander. Later that day, Maria Torres was scheduled to be discharged from the hospital. The plan had originally been for Callie to go in early with Erica and wait with her for her MRI. When they were done, they'd bring Maria back home. Erica wasn't sure what the plan was anymore. Erica felt certain that Callie would not be accompanying her to her MRI this morning after what had happened last night. She couldn't even be certain that Callie had remembered Erica's MRI appointment for this morning. Callie had been distraught from the moment her mother had broken the news of her father's departure until the moment Erica had put her to bed last night. Erica desperately wished she had a contingency plan of her own to fall back upon. Callie and heart surgery were her life. And in one twenty-four hour period, Erica risked losing them both.

Getting up and out of the bed, Erica glanced over to Callie. Callie hadn't moved from her position all night. She'd slept with her back to Erica, ignoring Erica's cries. Right now, Callie's big, brown eyes were rimmed with red and swollen. The large circles under Callie's eyes mirrored Erica's own. Erica wondered if they were simply just fatigue circles or if they were in fact bruises, silent testaments to the verbal blows Erica had given Callie last night while she'd lied to her. When Callie wouldn't meet Erica's gaze, Erica trudged to the bathroom and closed the door behind her. Stepping into the shower, she didn't even bother with hot water. She wished for the numbness that the cold water would bring, because even that was better than the empty uncertainty that had settled in her last night.

Shivering as she stepped out of the shower, Erica grabbed a towel off the rack and wrapped it around herself. Looking at herself in the bathroom mirror, her shivers turned to a shudder as she faced her reflection. What had happened to Erica Hahn, the prestigious heart surgeon? The face in the reflection showed a woman scarred by life, terrified of her future and completely unsure of herself. The confident, cocky heart surgeon was long gone, and Erica feared that what she was looking at was not just her reflection but a premonition. Unable to look any longer, she moved away from the mirror and fumbled through the cabinet under sink, looking for the mouthwash. Her mouth felt dirty and tasted bitter. Despite the fact that she'd brushed her teeth twice, she couldn't get the taste out of her mouth. Erica summed it up to the taste of the lies she'd spoken last night.

Stepping back into the bedroom, she noticed that Callie had rolled over, facing away from the door to the bathroom. She never moved or acknowledged Erica's presence in the room while Erica dressed. Sighing, Erica picked up the dreaded keys off of the dresser and grabbed her purse. Erica looked over her shoulder to Callie's form on the bed once more. Part of her needed to see the hurt she'd created last night. The other part of her needed to remember every detail about Callie, because she wasn't sure if Callie would be there when she returned home.

She desperately wanted to say something to Callie, anything that would at least bring her around and make Callie talk to her, but she didn't have the words in her to make things right again. Failure had never been an option for Erica Hahn. Erica repeated the thought in her head and instead of stepping up to fight the finality of it, she let the realization wash over her that she simply didn't know what to do now that she'd failed. She didn't know how to start over again. She didn't know how to fix this mistake. Instead she walked out of the bedroom and closed the door softly behind her, no more ready to face her day than she had been when she'd stepped out of bed nearly an hour earlier.


	59. Resignation

**A/N: **I said it would get worse before it gets better... and it is. Just an FYI, I'm going away on business next week and won't be able to update while I'm gone. I'll try not to leave you with a cliffhanger though. :)

* * *

Mistaking Erica's uneasy silence for nervousness, Derek reassured Erica that her MRI results would probably be fine. He told her, for the millionth time that morning, that post-concussion syndrome tended to linger in most patients and it wasn't unusual to see that the symptoms were still manifesting in Erica. He also reminded her that they would eventually remit themselves and that she'd be back in an OR 'before she knew it.' Erica felt like punching him. She'd been out of work for nearly a month because of this head injury and she knew that the Chief was growing impatient with her. He needed a cardio-thoracic specialist. One who could operate. He was watching his business go over to Mercy West and he didn't like it. The number crunchers on the hospital board didn't like it either. It wouldn't be long before they'd send her packing, if they didn't do it after her results came back today. This would turn out to be just another failure for Erica to add to her growing list from over the past few days.

Helping Erica onto the MRI table, Derek turned towards the booth. He would run the scan on Erica himself this morning, as it was still far too early for any of the technicians to be there. Generally when other doctors needed radiology services, they came in early in the mornings because there were no patients waiting to use the machines. This also allowed for another level of privacy, something which Erica treasured. She couldn't stand the fact that the whole hospital knew she had a head injury and that it had been Callie's father who had caused it.

"I'm surprised that Callie's not here with you." Derek said, interrupting her thoughts.

Cringing, Erica tried for a neutral reply. "Her mother is coming home today."

"Oh, that's right. That's great news, I'm happy that she is well enough to go home. And Callie must be thrilled that it worked out with her and her mother."

"Yes." Erica replied tersely, unable to even think about Callie without risking crying. There was no way Erica would allow herself to be seen by Derek crying.

"Just relax, Erica. I'll run the scan, and if you want to doze off, feel free. I know a lot of people start to feel claustrophobic in these machines." Derek had once again misread Erica's tenseness for nervousness about the procedure she was about to undergo.

"Thanks." Silently, Erica wondered if Derek was a moron. Didn't he know that she couldn't sleep? Didn't he realize that her entire future was on the line with this one test? This was the kind of test that Erica couldn't study for. She couldn't ace this based on her skills. Her surgical prowess wasn't going to get her any extra credit on this exam. She had to wait for her concussion to heal and if her symptoms over the past few weeks had been any indication, no healing had taken place. This was one test where Erica felt certain she was going to receive a big, fat 'F' for her efforts.

An hour later, after the MRI was complete, Erica sat in a conference room, waiting for Derek and the Chief to discuss her results with her. The fact that Derek hadn't given her results immediately worried Erica. The fact that the Chief had now become involved in all of this terrified her. Sitting there, the silence was deafening. The clock ticking on the wall near the door would cause her to jump each time it entered her consciousness. With each second that passed, Erica came closer to breaking down, but she refused to do it. Whatever happened in this conference room, she was going to be strong. She'd save the breakdown for later, when no one was around. When she was utterly alone, that's when she'd let the tears come, but not before then.

When Richard threw the door to the conference room open and interrupted her brooding, Erica gasped. Derek sat down on one side of Erica, and Richard sat across from her. This wasn't good at all. Neither of them were smiling. Derek had that face on that he used when he told a family that their loved one had died. The chief sat down with his poker face on, and Erica knew in her gut that it could only mean trouble. When Derek placed his hand on Erica's arm, Erica drew in a quick, ragged breath. Already she could tell what was coming.

"Erica," Derek said, hesitantly. "The MRI shows that a portion of your brain is still slightly bruised. It's most likely the reason for your ongoing post-concussion symptoms."

Erica nodded slowly. She'd expected this, it wasn't as if she couldn't read the signs her own body had been giving her. She looked towards Richard to see what news he had to impart on her. "Derek says the damage is insignificant and has healed considerably since your last MRI. He feels that you should be able to return to full duty in the next month or so."

Erica swallowed hard, her throat making a clicking noise that seemed to reverberate throughout the tiny conference room. "What does this mean?"

Exhaling loudly, the Chief replied "It means I can't let you into an OR for another month, Erica."

"But you need a cardio-thoracic surgeon now." Erica stated the fact that she already knew.

"Unfortunately, yes. I'm going to have to bring in someone, but it will be on a temporary basis. In the interim, you can continue to do consults and do research on cadaver hearts. I cannot let you perform surgical procedures though. There's still just too much risk."

"Richard, I don't think this is wise. I mean, I do have the symptoms of post-concussion syndrome, but I've been fine. There's no change in my cognitive abilities. My hands are steady. I can do this. I can do surgery. It's been almost a month since my injury with no epileptic events. I'm physically capable of performing surgeries." Erica knew how desperate she must have sounded to the two men because she was exactly as desperate as she sounded.

"Erica, you know I can't do that. We can't risk patient's lives like that. This is just temporary. I'm not keeping you out of an OR forever."

"Who are you bringing in?" Erica asked, changing the subject.

Richard looked at Derek, who refused to meet his eyes, then down at his hands for a moment before he answered. "Preston Burke."

"WHAT?" Erica screamed, standing up so fast that the chair fell backwards behind her. "Richard, anyone but him! How can you bring him back here?"

"The two of you are the best in your field. If I can't have you doing surgeries, I need to have him here. The hospital board recommended bringing him back full time, but I told them that we preferred you. You stayed after Walter Tapley offered you the job and I am trying to return the favor to you. It's just temporary."

"Temporary my ass. You can tell your hospital board what they can do with Preston Burke. I cannot work with that man, and you know as well as I do that if my MRI is still abnormal a month from now that you'll give him my job. So let me make this easier for you. He can have my job. I'm done with this."

"Erica, think about what you're doing-" Richard started, but Erica was already storming towards the door.

Just before she stormed out, she turned and interrupted the Chief. "I know exactly what I'm doing, Richard. I'm healthy enough to be doing surgery right now, but instead you chose to bring Burke back here. Burke, Richard! The same man who took off on you and this hospital when he decided he was bored here. I know what I'm doing and you know what you're doing. I'm resigning, and you're giving Burke my job."

Erica turned and continued to leave. Richard screamed after her "I'm not accepting your resignation!" but Erica never heard it. She'd already stormed down the hall and into a stairwell, heading towards the parking garage. When she got to her car, she turned it on and just drove. And four hours later, when the gas gauge read nearly empty, she finally stopped. She filled the tank up and bought herself a coffee in the convenience store. Then she got back in the car and just drove again. She forgot she even had the coffee there next to her in the cupholder. All she could concentrate on was the road in front of her and what a miserable state she was in.

Even though she'd been driving all day, Erica hadn't gotten far. She'd mostly been circling, keeping close to home because she didn't know where else to go. There were lots of roads that she could have chosen that would have taken her away from this place, but she chose to stick close to home. Erica wondered why. There was nothing left for her here now. Callie had all but closed her out of her life last night. She'd just lost her precious career. She had nothing but herself in this place, and she couldn't stand failures.

Looking at the car's GPS, Erica knew she was about an hour and a half north of Seattle, somewhere near the pacific coast. Pulling off the freeway and following the signs for the beach, she arrived and found the place nearly deserted. She turned off the car, stepped out, and took off her shoes. She chose a spot halfway to the water, where she unceremoniously dropped her shoes in the sand and sat down. When she looked around and realized that she was alone, she dropped her head into her hands and finally allowed herself to cry.


	60. Don't Go Back There

**A/N:** Well, I had said I wasn't going to leave you with a cliffhanger before I went away, but it looks like that might just be the case. If I can get another chapter up before I leave tomorrow, I most certainly will. But unfortunately I have an early flight so I'm not sure. Thanks for all of the fantastic feedback so far!

* * *

Callie had finally dragged herself out of bed at around ten o'clock. She'd had no idea where Erica had gone that morning, but she didn't really care at that point either. Erica had lied to her last night. She had blatantly told her a story about where she'd gone, and it hurt Callie too much. That was on top of the fact that she and her mother had been plotting to lie to her yesterday afternoon too. She'd caught them discussing when and how they'd tell her that her father had left, as if she was a child that needed to be shielded from reality. What other things had she lied to Callie about? She'd sat there, brooding about all the different opportunities Erica could have had to lie to her in the past. Had this really been the first time? And why? Why would she lie to her about where she'd been? It just compounded the hurt she felt about her father leaving. None of this made sense, but Callie was too angry to even care.

As she showered, she wondered what she was going to do now. Her mother was scheduled to be discharged from the hospital today and the plan had been to bring her back here to stay, but Callie wasn't even sure she herself wanted to stay anymore. Erica had violated her trust over something so sensitive. How could she live with that? It was in that moment that Callie realized that maybe she and Erica really had taken things too fast. She'd trusted Erica too easily and she wasn't sure she knew Erica like she thought that she did.

Toweling herself off, Callie decided she'd bring her mother back to the house tonight. If things were still so bad in the morning, she'd bring her mother to the Archfield and the two of them could stay there while Callie looked for an apartment. She wondered what she'd tell her mother. She had, after all, just severed all ties with her father over this relationship, and on the very night that her father walked out of her life, Erica decided to become a liar. Could life really get any worse than this? Callie thought better than to try and answer that question.

Before she left the house, Callie checked the guestroom downstairs to make sure everything was in order for her mother's arrival. Erica had been so helpful in setting everything up; she was amazed at how readily Erica had accepted her mother into her life. At the same time, the two of them had become thick as thieves yesterday, plotting and planning around Callie, and then Erica had taken it upon herself to lie to Callie's face. Every time she thought of the way she'd been treated, red hot anger flared up in her again.

Steering her car into a parking spot at the hospital, she took a good look at herself in the rear-view mirror before she went in to see her mother. Callie was horrified at the way she looked. Her hair was disheveled, her eyes were red and swollen, and she had huge bags under her eyes. It was clear to anyone who looked at her that she'd been awake all night, crying. Instead of heading straight up to see her mother, Callie walked into the bathroom off of the lobby and splashed some cold water on her face. She figured she had a few minutes anyway, since right about now, Cristina Yang would be signing the discharge papers and yapping away to Callie's mother about her aftercare.

When Callie did arrive at her mother's room, she was happy to see that her mother had dressed herself and had a small bag packed. She sat up in the guest chair, facing the door. Callie's mother, on the other hand, did not look happy at all.

"Hola, mommy!" Callie said, trying her best to sound cheerful and realizing she sounded completely fake. "What's wrong?"

"The doctor from the lounge a few weeks ago- the one with the sandy hair- has come by no less than five times looking for you. He said it is extremely urgent. Where have you been? And where is Erica?"

Callie avoided talking about Erica. "Mark Sloan came in?"

"Yes, the plastics doctor. He and some other man were looking for you."

"Who was the other man?"

"I don't know his name, he didn't introduce himself. He seemed to know Dr. Sloan quite well. He had dark hair with too much mousse but a nice smile. The two were very upset. Calliope, what is going on?"

"That would be Derek Shepherd, mom."

"The same Derek Shepherd that was supposed to do Erica's MRI this morning?" Maria asked, fraught with fear over what they could have found in Erica's MRI. "Callie, where is Erica? Is she going back to work?"

Callie's jaw dropped. Erica's MRI! How could she forget that? Erica had been scheduled for this MRI for weeks, and they had just spoken about her return to work yesterday! That's where she went that morning. Callie was too busy being pissed off at her to even remember that today was the day that Erica would find out if she could reclaim her career or not. Callie did not have the time to respond to Maria's question, but the question was answered for her by the voice from the doorway.

"No, Mrs. Torres, she can't go back to work, because she resigned this morning." Mark turned his glance from Maria over to Callie. "Where the hell have you been? I've been calling your cell and paging you for the past four hours!"

"What happened, Mark?" Callie asked, filled with dread.

"Derek told me that Erica's got bruising on her brain. Webber won't let her come back to work until she's healed, which will take at least another month if not more. In the interim, he was going to bring back Preston Burke. Upon hearing that, Erica resigned and stormed out of the hospital. She's not answering her pager and none of us have her cell phone number."

"Oh God-" Callie gasped.

"Mija, why weren't you there with her this morning for her MRI? How could you not know this happened?" Maria asked, surprised at the fact that her daughter had not accompanied her girlfriend to her medical test.

"I-, we-, she left." Callie stuttered. "We argued last night, and she got up this morning and left. I was so angry with her that I didn't even realize she was scheduled for her MRI today."

"CALLIE!" Maria screamed. "She has done nothing but care for you and me for the past month, and you FORGOT that her MRI was scheduled for this morning? I don't care what kind of fight you had last night- if you really loved her the way she loves you, you'd have been with her for her test!"

"SHE LIED TO ME!" Callie screamed back. "And as my mother, you're supposed to be on MY SIDE! She snuck out last night after she drugged me and tried to tell me that she was here working a trauma! She was nowhere near here! She spent all morning with you yesterday planning ways to control the events in my life and then she LIED TO ME last night!"

"Calliope, she wasn't plotting and planning. She was looking out for you. She was just trying to spare you a little more hurt!"

"And lying to me is going to spare me from getting hurt? Look at me, mom! You don't think I'm hurting right now?"

"Callie-" Mark started quietly, but he was cut off by Callie.

"You don't get to have a say in this, Mark!"

"Yes, I do. I helped get the two of you together; I watched the two of you torture yourselves while you denied your feelings for one another. I'm not going to watch as you break apart over something like this. You have to go find her." Mark was stern, mature and surprised at himself. He wasn't the same Mark he was while he and Callie were sleeping together. This whole "new leaf" thing could be exhausting though, and he wished it came with a manual of some sort.

"I don't know where the hell she is! It's not like she called me to tell me that she'd just quit her job!"

"Call her." Maria said, pointing to Callie's cell phone in the side pocket of her purse. "She needs you."

"I needed her last night, and she left! She left me and she couldn't even be bothered to tell me the truth about where she'd been."

"Callie, relationships don't work like that- you can't fix a hurt by hurting the other person back." Mark said, stepping closer to Callie.

"What the hell would you know about relationships, Mark?" Callie asked, seething.

"More than you, apparently. I'll call her. What's her cell phone number?"

"I'm not doing this. She's a grown woman. If she wants to quit her job, that's fine. If she wants to take off, that's fine too. Come on mom, we're leaving."

"No, we're not. Calliope you have got to go and find her! She needs you! How do you know that she's not lying hurt somewhere?" Maria asked.

For some reason, her mother's words took Callie back to the story Erica had told her about the night of her medical school graduation. That night at the spa, Erica had confided to Callie that she'd held a scalpel to her neck, waiting for the courage to slit herself open because she'd graduated second in her class and she'd lost her family because of it. Wearily, Erica had confessed her fear of failure to Callie that night. The image flashed across Callie's mind, and caused her to shudder. She remembered how much she loved Erica that night and how scared she'd been of losing her if she ever tried to do something like that again. Erica had lost her family back then, and she was losing her family right now. As much as Erica would never admit it, the people of Seattle Grace Hospital were her family and so were Callie and her mother. All at once today, Erica had lost all of it. Callie realized that this was Erica's rock bottom and it scared her to her very core.

Without any further thought, Callie whipped out her cell phone and dialed Erica's number. The phone rang enough times for Callie to know that it was on, but the call went to voicemail anyway. Callie called three more times before she even tried to leave a message. When she did, her voice was hoarse with tears that she was fighting back. "Erica, where are you? Don't…" Callie sobbed hard before she could control herself enough to continue. "Don't do the medical school thing. Please. Just come home. Or call me and I'll come and get you. Just don't go back there. Don't go back to that night in medical school."


	61. Refused

**A/N:** Sorry for the delay folks. It was a long trip! Here's the next installment. Thanks for your patience! :)

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Callie knew that she'd have to explain her message on Erica's voicemail to Mark and her mother who had been sitting there listening. Sure enough, as she turned around to face them, the two began to question her at once. Holding her hand up to silence them, Callie started to explain. "The night of Erica's medical school graduation, her parents told her how much of a disappointment she was to them. They severed all ties with her. It was the last time she ever saw or spoke to them. She'd tried so hard to work her way into her parent's lives, to get them to love her, and she felt like she failed. She almost killed herself that night. And she'd kill me now if she knew that I told either of you that."

"Oh my." Mark's hand flew up to his mouth, his shock registering on his face despite his attempts to mask it.

"Calliope, you have got to go and find her. Where could she have gone? Do you think she'll try to hurt herself?"

"I don't know, mom. She could be anywhere. I've never known her to get this way and I don't know where she goes when she's upset." Callie admitted.

"We need to call the police." Mark stated. "She's emotionally distraught; she's possibly a suicide risk."

"Okay." Callie said hesitantly. "What do I do, I mean, how do I get the police involved?"

"Go down to the precinct and file a missing person report, and then take your mother back to your place. I'll go get Derek and him and I will start looking for her. We'll try the usual places first- Joe's, Pike's Market, and that beach by that club the two of you like to go dance at."

"Then what?" Callie asked.

"We wait keep looking for her, or hope she comes home." Mark said with a shrug of his shoulders. There wasn't much that could be done. If Erica didn't want to be found, the group of them could search high and low for her and never find her. It's a big world out there and it's easier than it looks for one person to disappear when he or she wants to.

"That's it? I mean, she could be anywhere!"

"Calliope, let's go. We can't waste any more time. Take me to the police station with you, then we'll go look for her too." Maria pressed.

"Mom, you can't be out and about. I'll take you to the station with me but you'll need to stay home. I'm sorry. You're still too weak to be out searching."

"We'll talk about it in the car. Come on, let's go." Maria stood up and picked up her bag. Looking at Mark, she said: "Thank you, Dr. Sloan."

"It's Mark, Mrs. Torres. Please call me Mark. Callie, we'll call you if we come up with anything. Let me know what the police say." And with that, he jogged out of the room to go look for Derek.

Halfway down the hallway, Mark bumped into George O'Malley. "O'Malley!" Mark yelled.

"Dr. Sloan?" George was wary- the only time Mark Sloan ever spoke to him was to tell George to go get him a coffee and George was suddenly panicked that he couldn't remember exactly the way Dr. Sloan took his coffee.

"Go down to Callie's mother's room. Callie's going too need your help." Mark continued running, realizing that Erica's life could really be hanging in the balance and not wanting to waste another second.

When George arrived at the doorway to Maria Torres' room, Callie had her arm wrapped around her mother and was walking her towards the door. "George?" Callie asked, surprised to see him.

George had no idea what was going on, but knew by the looks on everyone's faces it couldn't be good. There was no way that even Mark Sloan would send him to Callie's mother's room if it wasn't a matter of dire importance. He'd never met Callie's mother, but he knew that Callie's mother was well aware of his infidelity while he was married to Callie. Swallowing, and hoping his voice wouldn't crack, George said, "Callie, Mark said you might need my help."

"Erica is missing. We argued last night and then she got a bad MRI result this morning and she took off. I need to find her. She might try to hurt herself."

George's jaw dropped. Erica Hahn, Ice Queen of Seattle Grace would hurt herself? How was that possible? "Oh, uh," George stuttered. "H- how can I help?"

"Can you stay home with my mother while I go out and look for her?" Callie hated that she even had to ask this. Who knew what Callie's mother would do to George while they were alone together? Her mother had once threatened to make him eat his own testicles after she'd called home crying one night shortly after the divorce was finalized.

George's eyebrows raised and he dared a look at Mrs. Torres. She wore an identical expression on her face. "Uh, Callie, I don't think I'd be welcome in Dr. Hahn's house, and I think your mother would be a little, uh, uncomfortable with me there."

Looking at her mother, Callie said: "Mom, I've forgiven George for cheating on me. We've made amends and we're on good terms. So don't kill him, okay? You can't be alone and I can't not go out and try and find Erica. George is being good enough to do this for me, so please be good enough to not hurt him like you promised you would when I told you that he'd cheated."

George swallowed again, hard. This was going to be a long, long afternoon. If it had been anyone other than Callie asking him to do this, he probably would have walked away laughing at the request. Instead, he followed the two women down to Callie's car and sat in the backseat. Callie drove them to Erica's house first, and let them in. She showed her mother to the guestroom and helped her into bed. Then she showed George where things were in the house. She told him to help himself to anything he wanted in the kitchen and to call her if Erica came home or if her mother needed her. She thanked him profusely and swore that she'd make this up to him. George could merely nod as he watched Callie try to break the sound barrier as she drove away towards the police precinct.

When she arrived at the police precinct, Callie had been hoping to see the police officer who had taken the report from Erica about her father. She figured it would be easier to explain the situation to someone who was already partially familiar with it. Callie realized though that she didn't know the officer's name and she had no way of asking for her. The officer wasn't behind the counter, so she walked up and asked the first officer that met her gaze for help filing a missing person's report. The officer behind the counter was brusque but efficient. He started taking down the various particulars about Erica- her name, her date of birth, her physical description, the type of car she drove, her license plate number and so on. When he'd gotten to the point where he asked how long Erica had been missing, he paused, consternation lining his face. "Ma'am, we can't take a missing person's report until the person is actually missing for seventy-two hours."

"But she's distraught- she might hurt herself." Callie begged.

"We don't have the resources to go out looking for someone who might not even be missing. I understand that she was upset when she left, but she's an adult and she's capable of taking care of herself. She lives in free country and she can come and go as she pleases. She's not missing, she's just not home. Come back in seventy-two hours, we'll take the report then. In the interim, call her family and friends and see if she's there."

"I am her only family- and she is not home! She's nowhere to be found and there's a chance that she's going to hurt herself. Do you understand that? I need help finding her because the longer we wait the more likely it is that she's going to do something drastic. Please, please isn't there anything that can be done?"

"I'm afraid not. I'm sorry." And with that, the officer moved down the counter to assist another person.

Callie felt like someone had just punched her in the gut. She had been depending on the police to start searching for Erica. She thought it would be just like on television shows when they'd put out an 'all points bulletin' and they'd bring out the bloodhounds to find her. She'd come prepared with a picture of Erica so that they could put it up on the news. She'd never expected to be bluntly refused like she had just been.


	62. Waiting for the Phone to Ring

**A/N: **I'm going to try and wrap up this fic before the start of the fifth season. I know it feels like we're never going to find Erica, but have a little faith. :) Thanks so much for all of the great reviews. Please keep them coming!

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George didn't know what to do with himself. He felt like he'd broken into Dr. Hahn's house and was trapped in there, waiting for her to come home and find him wandering around. Making matters worse, Callie's mother had gotten out of bed as soon as Callie had left and she had marched right into the kitchen. He heard her banging pots and pans around in there, and he was afraid to step in and ask her to go back to bed because he figured she wouldn't hesitate to bang one of those pots or pans over his head. There was no doubt in George's mind that any animosity Mrs. Torres felt for him was justified. But he didn't think he deserved to die today. He was doing Callie a favor, after all.

"George!" Maria bellowed from inside the kitchen.

George didn't like the way that sounded. It wasn't the call of a woman who had just been released from the hospital and who needed to be taken back to bed because she'd exhausted herself. Oh no, that was not the call she'd just let out. The call that Mrs. Torres had just made was one of authority. It was a command rather than a request. Despite the commanding nature of her call, George took his sweet time making his way into the kitchen, fearing the woman that awaited him there. When he turned the corner and walked inside, he visibly blanched. Mrs. Torres was standing at the island in the center of the kitchen with a huge knife in her hand, waiting for him to come in.

Seeing George's reaction to her and realizing what he must have been thinking, Maria put the knife down and chuckled. Waving him inside, she said, "George, please come in here and help me. We've got to cook something for all of those people out looking for Erica. It's getting cold out and they'll come back hungry. Erica will probably be hungry when she comes home too."

George was still wary of Mrs. Torres, but he walked into the kitchen, making sure to keep the island between him and Mrs. Torres at all times.

"I'm not going to hurt you, George, though there was a time when I would not have hesitated to." Maria continued, observing the man who had briefly been her son-in-law. "I never did get to know you. Tell me a little about yourself."

"Uh, well, what would you like to know, Mrs. Torres?" George asked, blushing brightly and hoping beyond hope that Dr. Hahn would walk in the door at any moment. Having her come home and read him the riot act for being in her house uninvited was still better than standing there and talking to Mrs. Torres as she held a knife in her hands.

"Really, George, please calm down. Callie told me that you two had made amends. I'm not looking to argue with you. Heaven knows I have enough going on in my own life without causing more trouble. But I had a son-in-law for a little while and I never got to know him. So I'm trying to strike up a conversation." Maria handed George some vegetables, a cutting board and a knife of his own. She chuckled again when the tension in his shoulders disappeared as he took hold of the knife she'd handed him. "Feel better, now that you can defend yourself?" Maria asked with a smile.

"Um, ha! Uh, yes, Mrs. Torres." George said, realizing that she was just trying to joke around with him, but still feeling better that he now had his own means of defense if needed.

"Chop up those vegetables. I'm going to share my secret recipe for chicken soup with you. Even if you did cheat on my daughter." Maria said, keeping her tone light.

George being George, he decided to grovel a little bit. "Mrs. Torres, I guess I owe you and Mr. Torres an apology. I did promise you I'd never hurt Callie and that was the one thing that I did do. I'm sorry for that. I don't expect to be forgiven for it because what I did was unforgivable. But if anything, I've learned from what I've done and I'm grateful to Callie that she has let me try to apologize for what I did."

"I can see why she liked you so much, George." Maria said as she chopped up the chicken she found in the refrigerator. "It's also nice to see that you and Callie have worked out your differences. It must have come as a shock for you to see Callie with a woman now."

"Actually, I'm glad that Callie is so happy, Mrs. Torres. I would have never expected her to be with Erica, but the two of them seem so right for each other. I'm glad that she found someone who makes her happy. I'm sorry it wasn't me, but I know I brought that upon myself. Erica really did help Callie a lot after our marriage fell apart, so even though I fear Dr. Hahn, I'm thankful to her for making sure that Callie was okay."

"You fear Erica?" Maria asked, amused.

"Um, yes. She can be quite intimidating, you know."

"I do know. But I think that if you take the chance to get to know her, you'll see that she's really quite human. Sweet, even." Maria smiled.

"Dr. Hahn does not think very highly of me because of what I did to Callie. I think it would be unreasonable of me to think that she'd ever allow me to get to know her. But I'll take your word for it, Mrs. Torres." George said with a shrug of his shoulders.

The two continued chopping food and adding it to the big pot Mrs. Torres had set out on the stove. Their conversation continued until George's cell phone rang. He was surprised to see it was Callie calling.

"Callie?" George asked as he picked up.

"I called your cell because I didn't think either of you would pick up the house phone. George, they won't take a missing person's report from me because Erica hasn't been missing for seventy-two hours yet." Callie sounded surprisingly calm, considering the information she'd just told George.

"What are you going to do?" George asked, scared for both Callie and Dr. Hahn.

"I need you to go into Erica's office across the hall from our bedroom and get me the number for the private investigator she used to date. Maybe he'll help us out or will know how we can look for her."

"You want me to go into Dr. Hahn's office?" George asked, terrified of going anywhere beyond the common areas of the house like the kitchen and living room. Entering the sanctum sanctorum of Erica Hahn's house was just beyond all comprehension for George.

"Yes, hurry George!" Callie said, exasperated. "The number should be in the Rolodex on her desk."

"What's his name?" George asked.

"Shit, George, I have no idea. Look through the Rolodex and see if there's a business card for a private investigator in there."

"There are hundreds of cards in here, Callie!" George exclaimed.

"Well go through them and call me back. Hurry George! We don't have all the time in the world!"

"All right, all right, just calm down. I'll go through it and I'll call you back. What are you going to do in the mean time?"

"I'm going to drive around, see if I can find her. Have you heard from Derek and Mark yet?"

"No Callie, not yet but I'll call as soon as I find that card or if I hear anything at all about Erica."

"Thanks, George."

They hung up with one another and George started going through the cards in the rolodex. Silently he cursed Dr. Hahn. She came off as being so organized and perfect, but the cards in her rolodex were just tossed in there, without regard to alphabetical order or any sense of organization. She seemed to have a card for every profession, and she seemed to have the business card for every doctor on the west coast. It took George nearly twenty minutes before he found the worn, somewhat faded card for the investigator. Flipping open his cell phone, George called Callie and relayed the investigator's information to her, then he practically ran back to the kitchen. Somehow he knew that Dr. Hahn would be able to sense he had been in her office, even though he tried to keep everything exactly as he'd found it. He knew she wouldn't be happy, but if she came back angry and wicked, at least she'd be back and everyone could stop worrying about her.

"Did Callie have any news?" Maria asked.

"The police wouldn't take a report because Dr. Hahn hadn't been missing for seventy-two hours yet. Callie asked me to get the number of the private investigator Erica used to date. She's going to call him and see if he can help us out."

Maria made a ticking noise with her throat as she shook her head. She didn't need to tell George that it didn't bode well for their search if the police were unwilling to get involved. He already knew it too.

"Hey Mrs. Torres, did you know I make a mean corn bread?" George asked as he tried to change the subject. "I learned to make it in middle school and I have honed it to perfection. I think it would go great with your soup." He figured making his one signature dish would help keep his mind off of the awkwardness he was still feeling, and it would keep the kitchen implements close at hand, in case Mrs. Torres changed her mind and did decide to attack.

"Let's make that too, then." Maria replied with a soft smile, appreciating George's effort to keep her from worrying too much. Together they set about making the soup and corn bread, waiting for the phone to ring.


	63. Have a Little Faith

**A/N:** But where, oh were, has Erica gone? And will Maria lure George into a false sense of security before emasculating him because he cheated on her daughter? Stay tuned. We're all going to find out soon enough. Thanks again for all of the great reviews!!

* * *

Callie dialed the number George had given her and prayed that the investigator would help her. While the phone rang somewhere on the east coast, she looked at the information she'd gotten from George. Christopher Erickson, retired police detective. If he didn't now how to go about finding Erica, she didn't know who would. She just hoped that Erica had ended her relationship on a friendly note with this guy. The fact that she had a business arrangement with him to spy on her parents didn't necessarily mean that they'd broken up on perfect terms. People were willing to do just about anything for a buck, including spy on an ex-girlfriend's parents even if they breakup wasn't pristine. Callie's thoughts were interrupted when a calm female voice answered on the other end.

"Investigations. Can I help you?"

"Oh, I was looking for Christopher Erickson. Is he there?" Callie asked; her own voice shaky and weak in comparison to the woman who answered the phone.

"I'm sorry; Mr. Erickson is out in the field today. Can I take a message for him?" The woman asked.

"Uh, well, this is kind of urgent. Maybe there's someone else who can help me?" Callie asked as panic started to wash over her and she struggled to reign in her emotions. She needed this investigator, she'd do whatever it took to get him to drop what he was doing and help her.

"Sure, what do you need?" The woman asked.

"I'm trying to track down my-" Callie hesitated. She normally didn't care what people thought of her if she called Erica her girlfriend. But the problem today was that she was calling the ex-boyfriend of said girlfriend and she wasn't sure how he'd react. If he was somehow angry or homophobic, he wouldn't help them. Erring on the side of caution, even though it disgusted Callie a little bit, she continued. "My friend. She got some bad news today and I'm afraid she might try to hurt herself. I tried going to the police but they wouldn't help me because it wasn't three days since she was missing. My friend has worked with Christopher in the past and I thought he could help us to locate her."

"Well, you do realize that you're calling across the country, right?" The woman asked. "I'm not sure what we can do for you from so far away."

"How did you know-" Callie asked, flustered that the woman knew she was calling from the other end of the continent. Were these people going to help her or not?

"I wouldn't be a very good investigator if I didn't observe the caller identification when I picked up the phone, would I?" The voice asked sweetly. "But maybe we can help you. Tell me more about your case."

"I'm looking for Erica Hahn. She-"

"Erica's missing?!" The voice exclaimed, going from sweet to genuinely concerned faster than the sound could travel through the phone lines. "Is this Callie? Dr. Torres?"

"Yes. How did you... wait, who are you again?" Callie asked, genuinely confused. This woman apparently knew more about her and Erica than they knew about themselves.

"I'm sorry, I'm Kristin Erickson, Christopher is my brother and this is his investigative office. Erica is our biggest client. I call her with status updates on her case a few times a week. She told me about you, about the two of you. And your dad, he called here..." Kristin trailed off.

"Yes, sorry about that. Apparently you're well-known." Callie said dryly.

"We're the best on the East Coast." Kristin said with pride apparent in her voice. "What happened to Erica?"

"She got some bad news this morning and then she tried to quit her job. And it didn't help matters that we fought last night. She disappeared this morning and she's very distraught. I tried to get the police to help us find her but they won't get involved. I'm very concerned that she may try to hurt herself. I don't know what to do. I've got our friends out looking for her but she's not answering her cell phone and she hasn't come home."

"Are you sure she has her cell phone on her?" Kristin asked.

"Of course she does, why?" Callie asked.

"Because we'll make some calls and see if we can't have her carrier ping the phone. It'll trace it back to the closest cellular tower near her. That'll narrow down her location a bit. What about her car, does she have a satellite navigation system, satellite radio, or one of those call services that sends help if you get locked out?" Kristin asked.

"She has all of that."

"Good, give me details. What's her cell phone carrier and who's the service provider for her car?" Kristin asked.

"I don't know who her cell phone provider is!" Callie cried, suddenly realizing that there was still so much about Erica that she simply didn't know. How did she explain to a perfect stranger that they'd only been together for a month, and Erica wouldn't let her pay any of the bills?

"It's okay. Just give me her cell phone number. I'll look it up in one of our databases." Kristin said reassuringly.

Callie rattled off the number to her.

"And her satellite radio service provider?" Kristin asked.

"I don't know that either, I'm sorry." Callie replied sadly. She felt like she was a stranger in Erica's life and she was afraid of what Kristin must think of her for that. Callie tried to assuage her feeling of inadequacy by telling herself that she and Erica had only been together for a month, but she still felt like she was on the outside looking in to Erica's life.

"Don't worry. What is the make and model of her car?"

"It's a Mercedes, the convertible model. I don't know which one."

"All right, we can find out who the satellite provider is for that, too. I'll make some calls, see if some of my pals in the satellite business can help us find her car or her phone. But Dr. Torres, you have to understand something... without a warrant, this information is going to be difficult to get. And if we get it without a warrant, we're doing it illegally."

Callie swallowed hard, understanding the unspoken implications of what they were about to do. The investigator was going to call in to the cell phone company and the satellite service provider and use lies to get the location of Erica's car and cell phone, which would be a crime. Callie was about to be implicated in a felony that could cause her to automatically lose her medical license and possibly even go to prison for a while. Regardless of the consequences, Callie knew she had to find Erica. "I'll take full responsibility. Please do what you can. She could be hurt somewhere and I couldn't live with myself if she..." Callie trailed off. She couldn't speak the words she feared so much.

"Dr. Torres, just because it's not exactly legal doesn't mean we won't get this information for you." Callie could hear the smile in Kristin's voice. "It's just a matter of who you know. I'm going to make some calls. Please give me your cell phone number. I'll also notify Christopher and see if he can't convince some of his old police buddies to hit the streets looking for her. He knows people out by you, they owe him favors."

Callie gave Kristin her number. "Thank you so much. What can we do from here?"

"Just keep looking for her. Go to her favorite places. Ask people she knows if they've seen her. Have a photo of her with you to show people. And be patient. I know that this is urgent, but under the table requests like I'm going to make take time. I promise to call as soon as I get any information at all."

"Okay. Thank you, Kristin."

Callie hung up with Kristin and called Mark's cell phone. He picked up on the first ring.

"Did you find her?" He asked, skipping over any pleasantries.

"No, and I guess that means you haven't found her either." Callie said with disappointment evident in her voice. "The police won't take a report until she's missing for seventy-two hours, either."

"Shit Cal, what are we going to do?"

"I called an old boyfriend of Erica's. He's an investigator. They're going to try and track her cell phone or her satellite receiver in her car. They're also going to try and get some of the investigator's police buddies out here to join us in the search. The problem is that it can take several hours and I don't know if we have several hours. Mark, I'm afraid of what she might do to herself." Callie replied, the tears finally pouring down her cheeks.

"Callie, don't cry. She needs you to be strong right now. She needs you to find her and sitting there crying is not going to help us locate her. Derek got Meredith and Cristina to come out and help us when their shift ends in a little while. The more people we have out looking for her, the better. We just have to keep trying. Have you called her cell phone again?"

"No," Callie sniffled, trying to calm down. "I'll do that now. Keep in touch Mark; we've got to find her."

"We will find her Callie, have a little faith. We will find her." Mark said, the determination in his voice belying the uncertainty he really felt.


	64. Everett

**A/N:** We're getting closer to Erica with every chapter. And we're also getting closer to the end of the story... and to the beginning of season 5, which I absolutely cannot wait to see! Thanks again for continuing to read!

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Several hours had passed since Callie had gotten in touch with Kristin at the investigator's office. Callie had driven to just about every place she could think of that Erica could have gone. She'd called the area emergency rooms to see if she had been admitted. She called local hotels and motels to see if she'd checked in. She even called Dr. Wyatt's emergency service number to see if Erica had called, and when she heard that she hadn't, she put the doctor's emergency service on notice that Erica may need some serious help when she was found.

Callie had grown immune to the cautious and questioning stares that people were giving her when she approached them with Erica's picture and asked if they'd seen her recently. She asked anyone who would listen if they'd seen Erica, and she'd given her cell phone number to a few shopkeepers that were familiar with Erica but who hadn't seen her that day. She'd made them promise to call if Erica showed up there. Callie was surprised at the concern that the people who barely knew Erica had shown. She wondered if Erica realized just how many lives she touched every day.

She'd also called home several times, speaking to both her mother and George. She was happy to hear that her mother had not killed George, but was dismayed to hear that her mother had been out of bed since she'd dropped the two of them off. She tried, unsuccessfully, to encourage her mother to go lie back down, reminding her that she'd just been discharged from the hospital and that she needed her rest. She was further dismayed to hear that her mother had been cooking, meaning that she would not be returning to bed anytime soon. She was nearly delighted to hear that George and her mother had struck up a rapport, and that they were actually cooking her mother's famous chicken soup together. Her stomach growled at the thought. It had been years since she'd had her mother's soup and she would love to have Erica enjoy it too. Her mother didn't cook that soup for everyone, and she would love to tell Erica what an honor it really is to get to taste it. Her mother's soup wasn't just any chicken soup. It was a secret family recipe that had been handed down for generations, and it always left the people who ate it begging for more. It was then that Callie realized that she hadn't eaten since dinner the night before, and she was starving. She wondered if Erica had eaten anything at all that day, because she knew Erica had left the house without eating this morning. It was starting to take all of Callie's self control not to start crying. She didn't know where Erica was, or if she needed help. She didn't know if Erica was hungry or scared. The weather was getting down right cold, and Callie fretted that Erica may not be warm enough wherever she was. A voice in the back of Callie's head begged whatever fates there were that Erica would come home and have dinner with them, and that things could go back to the way they were before they went so horrifically wrong last night.

Pulling her thoughts back to the conversation she was having with her mother, Callie gave up on trying to convince her to go back to bed. If her mother was cooking, she knew her efforts would be futile to try and stop her. Callie's mother could give Erica Hahn a run for her money in the kitchen. Instead she asked her mother to use the house phone to call Erica's cell phone every half hour. Maybe she'd pick up for Maria if she was still mad at Callie.

As Callie sat in the parking lot of a strip mall after her last call home, she rubbed her temples, trying to ease off the migraine she was getting. She was out of ideas. She didn't know where else to go look. She felt a despondency growing in the pit of her stomach and she felt like the longer she sat there, the closer she would come to losing Erica forever. Callie silently berated herself for the treatment she'd given Erica the night before. How could she have been so cruel to her? All Erica had tried to do was stop her father from walking out of her life. And what had Callie done? She lost her father and then pushed Erica away. Callie swore that if they found Erica and she was all right, she'd grovel until the cows came home to try and apologize to her. Deep in her heart, Callie still felt that it was wrong of Erica to lie about her whereabouts, but she also realized that there were worse things that Erica could have done. She just didn't understand Erica's motivation for lying. Why lie about it? Why not just tell her where she'd gone? It didn't make any sense at all! In the midst of all of her thoughts, Callie's phone rang, causing her to jump.

"Hello?" Callie asked hesitantly. She didn't recognize the number that had come up on her phone.

"Callie Torres?" Asked a gruff male voice.

"Yes, who is this?"

"This is Christopher Erickson. You spoke to my sister earlier today."

"Hi, have you been able to locate her car or her cell phone?" Callie asked eagerly, skipping over any greetings or pleasantries.

"Not yet. Both appear to be turned off, but we'll receive a notification if she starts her car or turns on her cell phone. In the interim I did run her credit card to see if it had been used today. She keeps a credit card on file with us to cover expenses relating to her case, so I had a buddy of mine run it to see if she'd used it. Her card was used in a gas station and convenience store in Everett. We checked and that's about an hour north of Seattle. I have an old detective buddy of mine heading up there so he can start canvassing the area near the gas station to see if he can find her or see if anyone up there has seen her. Do you have a digital photo of her that you can send to his cell phone?"

"I don't think- no, wait, I do!" Callie exclaimed, remembering the picture Erica had taken of the two of them while up at the spa. The picture was set as her background photo on her cell phone. "Give me the number and I'll send it as soon as we hang up."

"All right. Do you know of someone she knows or someplace she's familiar with up there?"

"No, I don't think she's ever gone up to Everett before."

"If you have friends out looking for her, I suggest you send them up in that direction. I'll continue to keep you updated."

"What about me? What should I do?" Callie asked.

"Be ready to come and take her home. If she's as distraught as you described to Kristin, she's going to need you to be there for her when she's found. Keep calling her cell phone, see if she turns it on and will talk to you. We'll work on finding her and getting her back home, where she belongs."

"Thank you, Christopher." Callie disconnected the call and then sent the photo of her and Erica from the spa to the investigator up in Everett. It was good enough for the investigator to be able to recognize Erica's face, should he see her. When he texted back that he'd gotten the photo, Callie called Mark's cell and explained to him where the investigator thought she was. He said he and Derek would head up there immediately, and asked Callie to call Cristina and tell her to head in that direction with Meredith when their shift at the hospital ended. Callie called Cristina's cell phone and explained the situation to her. Cristina was surprisingly agreeable, considering the treatment she'd gotten previously from Erica. It was then that Callie realized she had more friends than she thought she did, and she was truly thankful for everything they were doing for her.

Callie then drove towards home, taking Christopher's advice to be ready and waiting for his call. She had no idea what, exactly she was waiting for, but she prayed it would not be bad news. She tried to have a little faith that Erica might be despondent, but not suicidal. She tried to have a little courage that Erica would come back home to her and let her make things right again. She tried to keep a positive outlook that the next call she received from Christopher wasn't going to be one that turned her life upside down and inside out. And if it turns out that she was due to receive some bad news; she wanted to be home with her mother when she received it.


	65. Chain of Events

**A/N:** I feel your impatience. I really do. Thanks for the reviews and for prodding me along. Just another couple of chapters and this story wraps up. Thanks so much for reading as much as you have!

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Erica wasn't sure how long she'd been sitting on the beach, but it had been long enough for the few people that had been there earlier to have left, and for the sun to begin setting. The weather over the past few days had been getting steadily cooler and it was getting darker earlier every night. Tonight was no exception. The wind had picked up and had gone from a cool breeze to frequent bursts of cold air. It was that cold air that had dried her tears and left her with nothing but deep, shuddering sobs.

Slowly, Erica let her thoughts wander from the emotional hole she'd dug for herself to just how cold she was. She wondered how long she'd been sitting there, oblivious to the world around her and shivering. Her entire body was wracked with shivers, causing her teeth to chatter and the fine hairs on the back of her neck to stand up. It was that sudden realization of just how cold she was that set Erica in motion. Getting up, her legs were unsteady underneath her. They'd fallen asleep while she sat in the same position for hours on end. Standing up like she had caused her to feel dizzy and Erica realized that she hadn't eaten or had anything to drink all day. The headache she'd been ignoring since that morning took the opportunity to remind her that it was still there, and it wasn't going away any time soon. Erica knew she had some acetaminophen in her purse, which was still locked in the car, so she headed back up the beach to go get some.

Leaving her shoes on the sand, Erica walked back to the car and used the electronic key fob to pop open the trunk. She found the blanket that she kept back there for when she and Callie would go to the beach closer to home. Shaking out some of the sand that had remained in the folds from their last beach outing, she wrapped the blanket around her shoulders and closed the trunk again. She then walked to the driver's side of the car and looked for her cell phone. She was curious to know what time it was, but was dismayed to see that the phone had died sometime while she was sitting on the beach. She plugged the car charger in to the cigarette lighter and plugged in her phone, leaving it in the console under the dashboard to charge. She used her keys to turn on the car and look at the clock on the dashboard. It was closing in on eight o'clock in the evening. All Erica could do was groan at the time. She had no idea where she wanted to go or what she wanted to do with herself, so it really made no difference what time it was and she questioned herself with frustration as to why she'd even bother to look and see what time it actually was. At least now she knew how late it had gotten and about how long she'd been sitting on the beach. Erica felt she could now go back to her spot on the beach to let the sound of the waves lull her back into the numbness she'd been feeling earlier.

She fished through her purse to find some acetaminophen and swallowed three tablets dry. She ignored the awful taste they left in her mouth, thinking the taste of the medicine was better than the sour taste in her mouth that she'd been unable to get rid of since she'd lied to Callie yesterday. Turning the car off, Erica opened her door and exited the car. She then pressed the button on the key fob to activate the car alarm. She walked back to her spot on the beach and sat back down, not realizing the chain of events her simple actions had just set in motion.

Somewhere back east, a bored dispatcher received an electronic alert that the car matching the make, model and vehicle identification number on a missing person's report had just been started. The GPS system had attempted to link up to the satellites before the vehicle had been turned back off again. The alert noted the GPS coordinates of the vehicle and indicated that the vehicle had not been driven in the twenty-two seconds it had been powered on. The dispatcher, not knowing that there really was no missing persons report, called the number on file for the detective looking for the missing person and relayed the information that had just come in. He had no idea that the man he spoke to had been retired from the police force for nearly ten years or that the two of them had just broken numerous telecommunications laws. He then went back to his game of solitaire on the computer, having experienced the most excitement he'd see for the rest of his shift.

Elsewhere, in the bowels of the country's largest cellular service provider, another dispatcher received a notification that a cellular phone with a SIM card matching the serial number on file for a missing person had just been turned on. The phone pinged the three closest cellular towers, giving the precise location of the cell phone. After the phone finished its startup routine and had clear reception, the cellular tower then sent notification to the phone of thirteen missed calls and eleven voicemail messages. Unlike the car, the cell phone phone remained on and no calls were made from it. The dispatcher forwarded the alert to her supervisor, and went about the rest of her job. The supervisor, noting the level of urgency on the alert, contacted the law enforcement agent listed on the alert and provided the tracking information for the phone. Like the GPS dispatcher, the supervisor had no idea that she was providing information to a retired police detective and not a current law enforcement agent.

Erica Hahn, for her part, had already returned to where she had left her shoes on the beach and was oblivious of the people concerned enough about her to break federal law by surreptitiously tracking her down electronically.

Christopher Erickson was pleased to receive not one, but two alerts with the exact location of both Erica Hahn's car and cellular phone. Going on the assumption that both were still in Erica's possession, he was pleased to see that she was not on the move and that she was still up in the Everett area, not far from the gas station where she had used her credit card earlier in the day. He quickly called the investigator he had sent up to Everett and relayed the GPS coordinates to him. He then called Callie Torres. It had been a long time since he'd dated Erica Hahn and he was genuinely surprised to hear that she was with a woman now, but he had to admit that he was pleased with how anxious and devoted Callie sounded on the phone when he relayed the information he had just received to her. The impression Callie's father had given him of his daughter was not the same as the woman he'd spoken to on the phone on and off throughout the day. He was glad he'd called Erica to inform her of the assignment he'd turned down. Now, more than ever, it felt like the right thing to do. And despite their lack of a romantic spark, he really had cared for Erica Hahn when they'd dated and he wasn't just worried about her because she was his biggest client. He wanted to get her home and back to the people who cared so much about her.

Callie had been seated in the kitchen, aimlessly stirring the contents of the bowl of chicken soup resting on the table in front of her when her cell phone rang. Seeing the look on Callie's face as she read the number on the caller identification, both Maria and George rushed to her side as she picked up the call.

"Hello?" Callie asked, her voice catching on the lump in her throat.

"Callie, this is Christopher."

"Did you find her? Where is she? Is she all right?" Callie asked hurriedly, afraid that if she didn't ask everything all at once that she'd never get the answers she was looking for.

"She just turned on her car and her cell phone. She's not moving though, so we think she may be parked in her car somewhere. I've given the GPS coordinates to my investigator. He's about twenty five minutes away from her location but he's en route right now. Where are you, Dr. Torres?"

"I'm home; I'm waiting at home like you said I should. Should I go up there?" Callie asked.

Instead of replying to her question, Christopher asked, "What about the friends you have looking for her, where are they?"

"I sent them up to Everett; they should be in the area too." Callie replied.

"Good. Stay home and wait for her, but send your friends to the location where her car is parked. Do any of them have a GPS?"

"I think Mark has one in his car."

"Call them and give them this location to plug into their GPS. They'll be better able to recognize her and her car in the dark better than my investigator can. You just stay put and I'll call you with updates whenever I get one, okay?"

"Are you sure, Christopher? Maybe I should go up there."

"She's going to need you at home, Callie. Stay there, we'll have her home soon." Christopher disconnected the call and hoped that Callie's friends or his investigator would find Erica before it was too late.

Callie ignored the questioning looks on her mother and George's faces and called Mark's cell phone. She figured that the two of them could listen to her as she relayed the details to Mark. In her heart, Callie knew there wasn't a moment to spare. Any more wasted time might leave them with a disaster on their hands.

Mark picked up on the first ring. "Callie?"

"Mark, the investigator called. Plug this location into your GPS, that's where both her car and her cell phone are." Callie read him the coordinates.

Mark took down the location and Callie could hear the robotic voice of the GPS giving driving instructions in the background. "We're on our way, Cal. Hang tight; I'll call you as soon as I know anything." Mark did his best to encourage Callie before he disconnected the call and floored the gas pedal. Just like Callie, he had a feeling he couldn't ignore. They needed to find Erica before it was too late.


	66. Numbness

Darkness had completely fallen and the air had taken on a frigid tinge as it was blown in off of the water

Darkness had completely fallen and the air had taken on a frigid tinge as it was blown in off of the water. Buffeted by the wind, Erica wrapped the blanket she'd taken out of the trunk tighter around her shoulders. When she did, she caught the faint scent of Callie's body wash. It was then that she realized that she and Callie had made love on that blanket, not on the beach but in a secluded clearing in the woods while picnicking just a week prior. They'd escaped for the day, leaving Callie's mother to the care of her father and taking an afternoon just for themselves. After nearly getting caught by a hiker, the two had quickly wrapped up their picnic and raced home, eager to continue their lovemaking from the comfort and privacy of their own bed. They'd forgotten all about the blanket in the back of Erica's car in their haste to finish what they'd started back in the woods. The sweet scent brought tears to Erica's eyes and she tossed the blanket off her shoulders, preferring the cold to the thought of never again feeling like she had with Callie in the woods that day. Erica thought about the situation she'd placed herself in. In one day, she'd lost everything that mattered to her. Callie had stopped caring because Erica had failed her and the lied to her. She'd been told she could no longer operate and she quit her job. Erica realized that she really had nothing left. The realization left an emptiness inside of her that stung like a thousand bees. She wondered where she could go from here, where life would possibly take her. She'd spent so much of her time learning to be the perfect surgeon that she hadn't really developed any other skills that would give her just as rewarding a career as the one she'd just lost.

Erica longed to go home, but she feared the emptiness that would await her if Callie had left that morning. She wouldn't be able to stand the silence. In just a few weeks, Callie had touched every part of that house and left her mark in every room. There would be no safe haven for Erica in that house if Callie no longer occupied it. The loneliness would stifle her, and despite how easily she'd been able to close off her feelings and move on in the past, Erica found herself no longer capable of doing that. Callie had broken down the barriers she'd built so carefully around her heart and she'd pulverized them. There was no way that Erica could rebuild those barriers, close off her emotions, and go back to being the surgical robot she had been, especially now that she was unable to perform surgery.

"That's what I get for giving my heart away so quickly." Erica muttered to herself bitterly. Her romance with Callie had been such a whirlwind. She'd spent more time wondering, wishing and hoping that Callie felt some semblance of the same attraction Erica had been feeling than she'd actually spent together with Callie as a couple. And when Callie kissed her that night in front of the hospital, it was like every wish she'd ever made had come true. It had seemed so right to just give her heart away to Callie, because she'd never thought that Callie would hurt her, or that she'd be capable of hurting Callie. Neither of them thought of slowing down. They had rushed right into their own love story and hadn't given much thought to what would happen to either of them if something didn't work out as they'd hoped. Now Erica was facing those consequences and for the first time in her life, she didn't have answers readily available. The uncertainty flooded her lungs and made her gasp for air. She didn't realize she was sobbing until she felt her own hand grasp at her chest at the base of her neck, as if that would somehow allow more air into her lungs.

Erica couldn't stand the feelings she was experiencing. She was drowning on dry land. She needed to clear away the fear, the uncertainty and the mark of failure from her soul. She needed to breathe. She needed to start over again. Standing quickly, Erica walked towards the water. She knew the water would be cold. It would be so blessedly cold that she'd become numb and she could wash away the feelings that had suddenly exploded through her like a malignant disease. When the water first lapped up against her ankles, it sent sparks of chills down her spine. When the water reached her knees, the numbness had started and she almost fell forward, unable to keep her balance on feet she could no longer feel. By the time she'd waded waist deep into the water, all she could hear was the sound of the waves crashing around her. She never looked back. She just waded in deeper and deeper, and waited for the numbness she so desperately needed to envelope her completely.

Mark and Derek had arrived at the beach before the investigator had, and they easily spotted Erica's car in the parking lot. It was the only one there. Cupping his eyes and leaning against the glass of the driver's side window, Mark could see that the car was unoccupied and that Erica's cell phone was resting on the console with the car charger attached. Mark watched as the phone slid slightly on the console, vibrating with yet another unanswered call. Callie and her mother had been calling every half hour from each of their phones, trying desperately to reach Erica and pull her back from whatever ledge she was standing on. As Mark turned to face Derek, Cristina and Meredith arrived in Meredith's car.

"She must be down on the beach somewhere. I say we spread out, try to find her by covering more space as a group." Mark said, pointing down to the beach. "She probably didn't stray too far to the left or right of where she parked- if it was me, I'd just walk down to the beach from where I left my car."

"It's dark down there. Does anyone have a flashlight?" Meredith asked over the howl of the wind, which continued to increase in intensity.

Everyone looked at each other. "No." Mark finally answered. Turn on your headlights on your car and park facing the beach. That will help a bit. The beach isn't that big. If she's on it, we should be able to find her in the dark. Let's go, I don't want to waste another minute."

Meredith and Derek returned to their respective cars and positioned them so that they were parked facing the beach. They left their headlights on. Mark and Cristina had already headed down to the sand, and were calling out to Erica. Their voices were quickly washed away by the wind.

The water had soaked Erica's clothes, making them heavy and making it nearly impossible for Erica to move. The bone chilling water had soon numbed her to the point where she could no longer fight the force of the strong undertow that was pulling her further away from the shore. When the first wave washed over her head, she welcomed it. It pushed her down into the dark depths of the water and for a moment Erica was suspended in total nothingness. She was too numb to tell which way was up. There was no moon in the sky to guide her back to the water's surface and she really didn't want to come back up anyway. There was nothing there for her on the surface of the water. There, underneath the water, there was cold numbness and a darkness that would not allow Erica to see herself as she truly was. She felt calm there. She'd crawled into the hole she had dug for herself earlier that day and she had no intention of coming back out of it.

The tide, however, had a different idea. Just as her lungs began to burn, begging for oxygen, the waves pushed Erica's head back above the water and her body betrayed her, sucking in mouthfuls of air. Erica simply waited for the next wave to come.

No more than three minutes into their search, Mark fell, face first into the sand. He heard part of Derek's cackle behind him before the wind swept the rest of the sound away. Mark rolled over and looked up at Derek, who was hurrying towards him with his hand outstretched to help him up.

"You're supposed to be looking for Erica, not watching me." Mark said as he tried to get up. His legs were tangled up in a blanket that someone had left on the beach. No, not someone. Erica had left that blanket on the beach. It had to have been Erica who had left it; there was no one else there. But if she wasn't on the blanket, and wasn't back at her car, where was she? The thought occurred to both Derek and Mark at the same time.

"She's in the water!" They screamed together and started running towards the sound of the waves.

The next wave that pulled Erica under wasn't as forgiving as the first. It slammed into her, pushing her face beneath the water with unbelievable force. The impact with the water's surface made Erica feel like she had been slapped by a very cold, strong hand. For a fleeting moment the numbness she had been feeling was replaced by sheer terror. Common sense had finally been awakened within her. What the hell was she doing? Was this all worth ending her life over? She and Callie had fought, but couldn't they make amends? Wouldn't Callie forgive her the same way she had taught Erica to forgive? She had told Callie she wanted to spend the rest of her life together with her, and the situation Erica had put herself in was not keeping the promise she made to Callie. Erica always kept her promises and tonight would be no exception.

She tried to kick and stroke back up towards the surface but the undertow and her waterlogged clothes made that nearly impossible. Finally the wave washed back out to sea and Erica was once again able to get her head above water. When her mouth broke the surface of the water, she gasped and tried to kick her way back towards shore. For the first time that night the wind cooperated, carrying the sound of Erica's gasp towards the shore, however her physical progress towards the shore was severely hampered by the force of the waves and the strength of the undertow. Her body was numb with the cold and Erica couldn't even tell if she was moving her extremities. It took every ounce of her strength to not succumb to the blackness that was creeping up behind her eyes. Erica knew what it was- it was hypothermia, and it was ready to take her if the waves didn't. For the first time that day, Erica decided that life was definitely worth living, and she fought off the water and unconsciousness with equal vigor.

Mark turned his head towards the sound that could only be someone gasping for air. His eyes scanned the water's surface, and it took him nearly two full minutes to find the source of that gasp. When he did, he took off running, jogging in to the water until it became to deep and he had to swim. Erica was at least a hundred yards out, and with each wave, the water took her further from the shore. He could see she was weak and struggling, and that the next wave that crashed over her could be the last before she drowned.

Erica was struggling. Her will was still strong but her strength had faded. She couldn't keep her head above the water. The water's cold temperature had slowed both her heart rate and her physical movements to a snails pace. The waves were getting stronger and were carrying her further from the shore. As the next wave crashed over her, Erica realized it would probably be the last before she lost consciousness, and she made sure that her last conscious thought was of Callie. She wished she had a way of letting Callie know that she was sorry, that she never meant to end things this way, and that if she'd been given a second chance, she'd be home with Callie right now, working out their differences. As Erica succumbed to the darkness, she almost thought she felt a pair of strong arms lifting her above the surface of the water. She almost thought she heard a familiar voice, but she just couldn't place it. And then she heard and felt nothing at all.


	67. Sink or Swim

**A/N:** Thanks for the great feedback from the last chapter. Here's the moment you've all been waiting for. ;) We're going to have another chapter or two after this and then an epilogue, and then it's done! :) I can't believe how much I've written- I never expected to take this story so far. Thanks so much for being such loyal readers!

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Mark was a strong swimmer. Back in New York, he had often headed out to one of Long Island's many beaches on the weekends in order to get away from the stress of city life. He'd spend hours swimming in the ocean, letting the waves carry him far from the beach and swimming back again. He had even volunteered to be a lifeguard one summer before medical school, enjoying the sun and the sand and saving the lives of bikini-clad women who had waded out to far. He never thought that moments of such relaxation were really training for this very night. He had swam up behind and had wrapped his arms around Erica as soon as her head bobbed below the surface. Approaching her, he had tried to call her name, but the waves were deafening. He could see that she had no strength left in her. Judging by how shockingly cold the water was, Mark had guessed that hypothermia had set in. That also meant that Mark himself had just moments to pull Erica out of the water before he himself began to lose consciousness.

Wrapping his elbow around Erica's neck, he stroked parallel to the shore until the undertow released the two of them. Then he swam hard for the beach, arriving as the feeling had started to drain from his extremities. He pulled her upon to the sand and felt for a pulse. She had one, but it was very weak. Leaning in, Mark realized that Erica had stopped breathing. She had probably swallowed a lungful of water when the last wave washed over her. He pinched off her nose and covered her mouth with his. Had this not been the dire situation that it was, the part of Mark's brain that had refused to turn over a new leaf along with the rest of him would have made some kind of joke about having Erica Hahn flat on her back and his lips on hers. Instead, instinct took over and Mark blew two sharp, strong breaths into Erica's mouth. He watched her chest rise and then he waited, feeling her pulse. Already her pulse was stronger, but she hadn't started to spontaneously breathe again. He leaned in and pushed another two breaths into her. This time, as he came up, Erica began to sputter, spewing seawater from her mouth. He rolled her away from himself and let her evacuate the water from her stomach and lungs. When she finished, Mark rolled her on to her back once again. She hadn't regained consciousness but her pulse was viable and her breathing was beginning to regulate.

Mark knew that Erica wasn't out of the woods yet though. Her lips had turned blue and her skin was ashen, indicating that she was still hypothermic. As Derek approached, he screamed at him to go and get the blanket that he'd tripped over earlier, as well as any blankets or towels that may be in any of their cars. When Derek came back, he was accompanied by a wizened-looking older man, who Derek introduced as the investigator that had been sent out by Erica's ex-boyfriend. Both had a blanket in their arms. Derek had the blanket from the beach and the investigator had a blanket from his car. The investigator started to protest when Mark began to remove Erica's clothes, but Derek, turning himself and the investigator away from Mark and Erica, explained.

"She's hypothermic. He has to get the icy, wet clothes off of her. He's a doctor. We're all doctors, actually. He knows what he's doing. He'll wrap her in the blankets and then we'll get her into one of the cars, where we can turn on the heat. We have to get her body temperature up, and leaving her in wet clothes in this wind isn't going to help."

"Should we call an ambulance?" The investigator asked; his concern evident despite the fact that he didn't know anything about Erica.

"I think we've got it under control." Mark replied from behind the two men as he hastily removed the wet clothes from Erica's prone body. He took the first blanket and wrapped it tightly around the top of her head and over her shoulders, and then wrapped the second blanket around her legs, covering her almost completely. "Go get Grey and Yang and let's get her in her car and head back towards home. She's breathing on her own and her pulse is stronger already. Once we warm her up, she should be fine."

Derek thanked the investigator for his efforts and reassured him that they would take excellent care of Erica. When the investigator returned to his car, Derek flagged down Meredith and Cristina, who came running as they saw Mark pick up Erica and walk towards the parking lot.

"What happened? Is she-" Meredith asked, fearing the worst when she saw how Mark was carrying Erica.

"She's alive, but hypothermic. Mark pulled her out of the water at the last second. One more wave and I think that we'd have lost her to the sea. He's going to get her into the car, where we can turn up the heat and warm her up."

"Want us to drive your car back?" Meredith asked.

"Yes. Follow us to Erica's house. I believe Mark sent George there, he'll need a ride home."

"Should I call Callie?" Cristina asked.

"Mark probably already has, but if he hasn't, I'll make sure that we do."

"All right, let's go." Meredith said, jogging off towards the cars.

Back in Seattle, Callie's cell phone rang.

"Hello?" Callie asked, afraid of what news awaited her.

"Callie, it's Christopher. My investigator just called and told me that your friends have located Erica. He said she nearly drowned, but they were working on her and they told my investigator that she'd be fine. They did not feel the need to call an ambulance because they are all doctors. I don't have any other details, other than to say that they're bringing her home to you."

"Oh my God!" Callie wailed, bursting into tears and drawing her mother and George closer to her.

"Callie, you need to calm down. They said she is going to be all right. She's on her way home to you. You have to be strong for her when she gets there! Is there anyone else there with you?"

"My mother and my ex-husband are here." Callie whimpered as she tried to control herself.

"Good. Tell them what's going on, don't let them leave you alone. Be ready for her to come home. She needs you, and you need to take care of her."

"I will- oh, Christopher, it's her calling on the other line! I have to go!" Callie disconnected Christopher and picked up for Erica's phone before she could even here Christopher's goodbye. "Erica? Erica?!" Callie yelled into the handset.

"Callie, it's Derek. We're in Erica's car, I'm driving her home to you."

"I want to talk to her, Derek! Put her on the phone!"

"She can't talk to you right now, Callie. She nearly drowned. Mark pulled her from the water at the last second. She's got hypothermia and we're warming her back up. She's got a pulse and she's breathing, but she hasn't woken back up yet. She was probably exhausted from struggling against the waves and from the cold. I promise you we will call you the second she wakes up. We're on our way back to you and should be there in about an hour. It's going to be all right, Callie. Everything's going to be all right. We'll call you again soon, okay?"

"But Derek, what was she doing in the water? What happened to her? How long was she without oxygen?"

"We don't why she was in the water, Callie but she was in there long enough for hypothermia to set in. Mark had her out of the water and was doing CPR in under a minute after she lost consciousness. She's going to be fine. You'll see. She's going to be okay. Let me get her home to you now, all right? I promise we'll call you the second she wakes up."

"OK." Callie whispered as she disconnected the call. She turned to face her mother and George. "They found her in the water on a beach somewhere up in Everett. She lost consciousness but Mark pulled her out of the water and resuscitated her. She hadn't been unconscious long, but hypothermia had set in while she was in the water. She's alive but she's not conscious yet. They're bringing her home and will be here in about an hour."

"Oh my God." George murmured. "What do you want us to do, Callie?"

"I'll take care of Erica when she gets here, but you two will probably need to feed everyone else. They've been out in that cold for hours now and they're probably exhausted. And, when Erica gets here, don't jump all over her. She's going to probably be upset and really embarrassed. Just give her space, okay?"

Maria and George nodded, heading back to the kitchen to get things ready for Erica's arrival. Callie collapsed on the couch and laid her head in her hands. She realized that while the hardest part of the waiting was now over, the hardest part of the dealing with the issue was about to begin.


	68. Rescued

**A/N:** This chapter has a very BIG "Thank You" attached to it, as will the next one. This chapter would not have been possible if not for the wonderful, creative input from Emma and Chelle. Thanks ladies, you made this chapter a good one, and the next chapter is going to be a great one thanks to the two of you! muah! and hugs!

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Erica's first sensations when her eyes fluttered open was that she was cramped, uncomfortable and too hot. She went to sit up, but the motion of the moving car and the fact that her arms were bound to her sides by a thick blanket prevented her from doing anything more than groaning.

"Well, look who decided to come back and join us!" Mark said, completely unable to hide the elation in his voice. "Derek, get Callie on the phone."

It took Erica a few seconds to realize that she was in the back seat of her own car and that she was lying on top of Mark Sloan. On top of Mark Sloan! That was enough to get her blood boiling. What kind of a sick joke was that? And why was it so damn HOT in the car? As her eyes adjusted to the light, she saw Derek pick up her cell phone and start scrolling through the phonebook while he drove. When he reached the entry for Callie's cell phone, he stopped. Before he hit "send", he turned slightly, looking over his shoulder for a brief second. "Are you okay, Erica? Callie's been dying to hear from you. Can you talk to her? Let her know that you're all right?"

"I'm not all right!" Erica snapped. "What the hell is going on? I wake up with my hands and arms wrapped in a blanket so I can't move, I'm lying on top of Seattle's biggest man whore, and I'm fucking hot!"

"Easy there, killer. He may be Seattle's biggest man whore, but he risked his own life tonight to save yours. And it's so hot in here because we've had to get your body temperature back up." Derek smiled as he spoke, but he knew that Erica couldn't see that from the back seat.

"Saved my life?" Erica asked with confusion obvious in her tone.

"You don't remember what happened?" Mark asked gently, sitting up a bit more and loosening the blanket around Erica so that she could move if she wanted to.

"Callie and I had a fight last night. I had an MRI scheduled for this morning. Derek, you were there- the results were less-than-ideal, right?" Erica asked as she mentally walked through her day.

"Yes." Derek said simply, waiting for Erica to gather her thoughts.

"Oh God..." Erica groaned. "Richard told me I couldn't do surgery anymore and he was bringing Preston Burke back. I- I quit my job, didn't I?" Erica asked, horrified.

"The Preston Burke idea has been nixed, Erica. And Richard will talk to you as soon as you're healthy enough to let you know that he refuses to accept your resignation. He has another plan in place right now, one that you might not like in the beginning but I think it may grow on you the more you think about it."

"What's the plan?" Erica asked, skeptical.

"That's not for us to tell you." Mark said, before continuing a bit more hesitantly. "Do you remember what happened after you left the hospital today?"

"I drove around- I was heartbroken and so angry at myself and at Callie and at this stupid concussion... and somehow I wound up on the beach. I remember the beach. I remember feeling like I had nothing left, like there was nothing more for me... I remember feeling like I was drowning in my emotions... and then I remember being in the water and it was so cold and I couldn't move... did I? Wait, no. I couldn't have. I remember thinking that I wished I had a way to apologize to Callie for ending it this way. But then I thought that was stupid and I wanted to try and get out of the water, but it was so cold and the waves were so strong."

"Erica," Mark said slowly and as gently as possible. "We think you tried to drown yourself."

Erica drew up short. Had she really tried to drown herself? She'd been feeling lower than low when she'd arrived on the beach. Her emotions were reeling, completely out of control. She had never cried so much as she did when she sat down on the sand and buried her head in her hands. She remembered feeling like she had lost everything that she cared about all at once that morning, but she wasn't sure that her intention had been to end it all. She had made a conscious decision to go in the water- but it was because she was trying to shut off the feelings and numb herself to the physical and emotional pain she was experiencing. But then again, to shut that off, to rid herself of both physical and emotional consciousness completely and permanently- wouldn't that have been suicide? Erica replayed her moments in the water in her head. When the first wave had washed over her head, she'd been grateful for it. She recalled floating under the water, the darkness of the night keeping her from telling which way was up towards the water's surface. Under the water, there had been no pain. She'd been surprisingly calm and genuinely disappointed when the tide pulled her back above the water's surface. It wasn't until the second wave that true terror set in. It had hit her like a god smack, smashing her face into the water's surface. Despite how numb she'd become due to the water's cold temperature, Erica remembered the sheer shock and the sting of the second wave. At that moment, she had realized how wrong she'd been. At that moment, she'd realized that she didn't have to stop living, that there was more to her than just a surgeon with a concussion and a girlfriend who no longer trusted her. There were ways to make things right again and if she tried to get out of the water, she could make everything right again. After that second wave had hit, she had truly wanted to get out of the water, and she had tried to get out of the water. She had wanted to make amends with Callie. All of her thoughts at that moment had centered on Callie. No, she hadn't wanted to die in the water that night. "I think I did at first, but I changed my mind. I remember thinking that I couldn't do that to Callie. I needed her and she needs me. I tried to get out of the water."

"Do you want to call Callie now?" Derek asked again, because neither of them could really say much about Erica's confession. Strong, assertive, perfect Erica Hahn had been brutally defeated that day, and as much as many people would have enjoyed witnessing that defeat, neither Mark nor Derek could take any satisfaction from it.

"I don't know what to say to her." Erica blurted out, mortified. Not only had she just confessed her suicide attempt to Mark and Derek, but now she'd have to confess it to Callie too.

"Tell her that you love her and that you're on your way home." Mark suggested. "There will be plenty of time for talking later."

Erica realized that Mark was right. She didn't have to confess again in front of Mark and Derek. She could tell Callie the truth in the privacy of their home, when she was ready. Erica reached up to grab her cell phone, which Derek was holding back over his shoulder while he drove. As she reached, the blanket around her shoulders shifted and it was then that she realized that not only had she apparently tried to kill herself that day, but she'd been rescued, resuscitated and then _stripped_ by the biggest man whore in Seattle. She was gloriously naked underneath that blanket, and moving her arm had almost given both men quite a show.

"Where are my clothes, Sloan?" Erica growled.

Mark tried to stifle his laughter. "Erica, you were hypothermic. Your body temperature dropped so low that we thought you were going to die! I had to get the cold, wet clothes off of you. We had you wrapped in the blankets in no time."

"We?" Erica asked.

"Me, Derek, and that investigator guy." Mark said.

"I cannot believe this." Erica muttered, thoroughly embarrassed. "Wait- what investigator guy?"

"Callie called an ex-boyfriend of yours. He was the one who was able to track you down when the police wouldn't take your case. He sent an investigator friend from the area out to help us track you down." Derek answered.

"Callie called Christopher? How many other people know about what went on today?" Erica asked.

"Well, just about everyone at the hospital, including Yang and Grey, who searched for you with us and who are in the car right behind us. George O'Malley's been babysitting Callie's mother at your house while Callie's been out looking for you, and then there's your ex-boyfriend. I think that's about it." Mark replied, relishing in the look of horror on Erica's face for just a moment before he remembered the gravity of the situation and his attempt at turning over a new leaf.

"I must have died in the water. This is all too strange. Yang was looking for me? Voluntarily? And O'Malley and Maria Torres occupied the same space and one of them didn't die?"

"No, George is alive and well, and apparently cooking with Mrs. Torres. Callie says that her mother cooks when she's worried and she's put together quite a feast for us when we get back there." Derek said.

"This is probably the single most embarrassing moment of my life." Erica mumbled.

"It's still better than being dead, isn't it?" Mark asked.

Erica was thinking that she wasn't so sure about that, but thought better of answering it. Instead, she hit "send" on her phone and waited for Callie to pick up.

Callie had been crying so hard she almost didn't hear her phone ringing. She picked it up and was simultaneously thrilled and terrified of the number that had come up on the caller identification. "Erica?" She asked.

"Callie!" Erica cried into the phone, once again incapable of any control over her emotions. She didn't have to hear anything more from Callie to know that she'd been crying for a while. Callie's voice had been raspy and weak, and in the background she could hear Callie sniffle.

"I love you, Erica. I'm so sorry for last night and this morning. Where are you? Please tell me you're close. You need to come home. Please come home. Please!" Callie rushed her words, terrified that this would be the last time she'd speak to Erica before she disappeared from her life forever.

"I love you, Callie. We're on our way home. We're about ten minutes away."

"Are you all right?" Callie whispered.

"I've been better. I'll be better once I get home. I, uh, I don't want to talk about this right now, okay? I just want to come home."

"I'll be here when you get home; we can talk about it then. Just come home to me Erica, because I don't think I can survive the night without you."


	69. Rebirth

**A/N:** I really did try to wrap this story up before the season 5 premiere... but life kinda got in the way. Sorry about that. We're in the home stretch now, just a chapter or so more and then the epilogue, which I cannot wait to write. :) A very special thanks goes out once again to Emma and Chelle for their help with this chapter!! Thank you!

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When Derek pulled Erica's car into the driveway, Callie was standing at the front door. By the time the car had been placed in park and turned off, Callie had raced down the front porch and yanked open the passenger side back door. She was trying to push past Mark and get to Erica, but Derek pulled her gently aside. "Let us get her out of the car and into the house. I know you want to see her, but she's tired, cold, and more than just a little embarrassed."

Callie was just about to push Derek out of her way when the front door slammed shut and Maria Torres ambled out. "Calliope, invite your friends in!" She yelled from the steps before she returned to the house. By that point, Mark had scooped up Erica and was carrying her towards the front door. He'd made sure the blankets had kept her completely covered. Erica tried, feebly, to make Mark let her walk, but she was so weak that Mark wasn't even noticing the blows she was planting on his shoulders with her fists.

"Callie?" Mark asked, nodding his head in the direction of the front door. "Which way up to your bedroom?"

Callie ran ahead of Mark and held the door for him. She pointed up the stairs and said "on the left". She tried to catch Erica's eye, and as she lowered her hand from pointing, she tried to touch Erica as Mark walked by with her. Callie wasn't sure, but she could have sworn that Erica actually shrank away from her touch. Mark had already started up the stairs towards their bedroom and Callie couldn't try to touch her again. She followed them up the stairs while Derek, Meredith and Cristina walked in the house and were greeted by Maria.

While Callie had been searching for Erica, and later, when she'd been pacing the floors at home and crying, she never once thought it would be weird between them when Erica came home. She anticipated tears, maybe even arguing, but not the awkward denial she'd just gotten from Erica. Following Mark into the bedroom, she watched as he placed Erica gently on the bed and she rolled over on her side, refusing to look at Callie.

"Well. I'll leave you two to it." Mark said, clearly sensing the tension in the room. He walked out and shut the door behind him.

"Erica?" Callie asked as she approached the bed. When Erica shrugged Callie's hand off of her shoulder, Callie died a little inside. "Erica, please." Callie's voice broke.

"Callie, I don't know what to say, or what to do. So I'm just going to lie here for a little while." Erica's voice was surprisingly calm, bordering on cold.

"I'm sorry Erica. For everything. Please, look at me?" Callie whispered, but Erica refused to turn towards her. Instead, Callie walked around the bed and laid herself across from Erica, facing her. She made no effort to hide her tears. "I thought I was going to lose you today. I was scared of never being able to tell you just how much I love you. I'm sorry for how I treated you last night. And I'm sorry for how you were treated today at the hospital. You deserve better from everyone, especially from me. I hope that if there's ever a day like this again that you'll come to me, and let me help. Even if I'm the cause of the problem. Talk to me and tell me."

"Callie, I really, really am so tired. I just want to sleep." Erica said.

"We don't have to talk anymore tonight. But let me help you get cleaned up. I'll run a bath for you, how does that sound?"

"I don't want to move from this bed."

"But you're still pretty wet and those blankets are filthy and soaking wet as well. I can run a really hot bath for you and then change the bedding. Then you can go to sleep. I promise I'm not going to push you tonight. But I'd really like to try and make things right between us. And I know that running a bath for you won't fix everything, but it's a starting point. Tomorrow's a new day and we can try to start over again then."

"Fine." Erica mumbled. She was too emotionally and physically exhausted to say put up any kind of argument. She did need a bath, she knew she did, but frankly she just had too much water for one night. She was already dozing when Callie got up and walked into the bathroom. From the far recesses of consciousness, she heard the water running, filling the tub. Although it must have been a few minutes later, it only felt like seconds had elapsed before Erica was being gently woken up by Callie.

"Erica, the bath's ready." Callie said quietly.

Resigned to facing more water, Erica sat herself up, keeping the blanket wrapped tightly around her shoulders. She suddenly missed the tropical heat that had been blasting in through the vents in her car on the way home. She stood unsteadily and Callie wrapped her arms around her, supporting her. This time, Erica did not shrink away from Callie's touch. When Erica caught the scent of Callie's body wash again, her knees got weaker. How could she ever think of leaving Callie? How could she ever contemplate ending everything and never spending another second with her? This was where she was supposed to be- in Callie's arms. Erica risked a glance down at Callie's face as they shuffled towards the bathroom. Callie's nose was red and swollen. The evidence that neither of them had slept the night before was carved sharply in the form of dark circles under Callie's bloodshot eyes. Her cheeks looked sunken, and her normally steady hands shook as she clung to Erica, tightening her grip when Erica stumbled. Looking at Callie, Erica realized that she hurt Callie that day as much as Callie had hurt her. They both had the battle scars to prove it.

It seemed to take ages for them to arrive in the bathroom, but when they did, Callie put the cover to the toilet seat down and urged Erica to rest on it as she moved back to the bathtub. She made sure the water was nice and warm before she turned to Erica and gently tugged the blanket from her shoulders. Erica hissed at the cold and Callie grimaced when she saw the cold chills that dotted her girlfriend's pale skin ... which was now slightly blue. "The water's warm, Erica," she said, "get in."

Erica remained motionless, then shook her head once. "Callie, I -" She was terrified of getting in the water. Water had almost killed her tonight. She had almost let it take her life, a willing participant in a liquid slaughter. She shivered at the thought.

"You're freezing! Get in!"

Erica nodded in defeat and accepted the hand that Callie held out, stepping into the tub. If it was possible, even more cold chills racked through her and sitting in the water did nothing to help. Looking up, she said, "Please ... come in with me?" She needed Callie there with her, to hold her head above the water and keep the events of earlier that night from happening again. Callie was her buoy and her anchor.

Callie bit her bottom lip, noted the trembling in Erica's chin, and gave in. She slipped her own clothing off and stepped in behind Erica, letting the other woman rest against her. With her face buried in Erica's salty-smelling hair, Callie said, "I don't know what I would have done if you had left me like this."

"I'm sorry." Erica's reply was so feeble that she almost thought she should repeat it, letting Callie know that she truly meant what she said. She didn't get the chance to repeat her sentiments though.

"Nothing is ever so bad that you have to -"

"I know." Erica sobbed.

Callie tightened her grip. "I should have been there. For the MRI. For you."

"Yeah. You should have."

Callie sighed. "I guess we're both sorry, then."

"Callie, I'm sorry I let you down. About your dad, I mean. What started everything last night was simply my inability to admit that I couldn't do what I set out to do. He was packed and ready to leave by the time I got there. My biggest fear was failing you, and I did that last night and again today. I'm sorry that I ruined your trust in me."

"Erica, I could never be angry with you for not making my father stay. What hurt me was that you lied to me about it, about where you'd been. And what shook my trust in you was that I couldn't tell if you'd ever lied to me like that before. And before I could figure out whether you had, you'd taken off. You tried to quit your job and you refused to communicate with me. And then, then you... oh Jesus Erica, if you had died tonight I would have died right along with you."

"I'm sorry Callie."

"I'm sorry for not being there for you this morning. Angry or not, I should have been there for that MRI and what came next. Do you think you can forgive me for that? Can you give me a second chance to show you that I was an ass last night and an even bigger ass this morning and that I'll make it up to you?"

"There's nothing to make up to me for, Callie. We both did some really stupid things over the last twenty-four hours. So let's forgive each other and move on. I realized today that we moved really, really fast into this relationship and that scared me more than anything else. But when I was in that water, I realized that it was because we were meant to be together. You were the reason why I changed my mind. I meant what I said back at the spa. I really do want to spend the rest of my life with you. So let's do this the right way. Let's stay together, and rebuild our trust in one another. I don't ever want to relive another day like this one."

"Me either." Callie picked up the washcloth and started slowly soaping away the sandy, salty residue on Erica's skin. Later, when Callie washed the salt out of Erica's hair, Erica no longer feared having the water run over her head to rinse out the soap. Instead she felt reborn, ready to start again in her life with Callie.


	70. Tomorrow is Another Day

**A/N: **Well folks, this is it. This is the final chapter. But I'm not cruel- I've written a cute little epilogue that I'll post during the week. I hope you liked this story! I had fun writing it and I thank all of you for the constant encouragement you provided and for sticking around to read it all. I've never written so much in my life!

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Callie got out of the tub first and left Erica to soak momentarily while she retrieved new bed linens and put them on the bed. She left the bedroom only to retrieve the linens and put the old linens in the laundry room. She returned a few minutes later with warm winter pajamas for Erica to wear, and helped her out of the tub and into the clean clothes. Callie was pleased to see that a rosy tint had returned to Erica's cheeks and she was no longer shivering.

"Are you hungry? My mother made her chicken soup for you." She asked, looking for a safe conversation topic. Callie didn't have it in her to question Erica any further about her day. She was so afraid of what Erica would tell her. She also knew that it would be uncomfortable for Erica to talk to her about it and she didn't want to push her. When Erica was ready, she'd come to Callie and they'd talk about it.

"I'm not really ready to go down there and face all of those people." Erica said, lowering her head and looking at her feet as if they were the most interesting feet on the planet.

"Those people that you're referring to have all left. They warmed up, ate dinner and went on their way, voicing nothing but sincere concern for you as they left. The only other person still here is my mother, and she's dying to see you if you'll let her. She's going to feed you until you explode, you know. And she doesn't make that soup for just anybody. She only makes it for family."

"So I'm family now, huh?" Erica whispered, surprised that she'd truly been accepted by Maria as one of her own.

"You've been my family for a long, long time Erica. You're the most important person in my life. If there's ever another day like this one, remember those words. You are the most important person in my life. I cannot tolerate the thought of losing you, so please, next time, if there is one, come to me. Please just come to me."

"I will."

Erica looked like she was going to cry again. Callie searched for anything to distract her, to bring her back to the here and now instead of the barren isolation she'd put herself in earlier that day. "I'll go get you some soup, okay? You can eat it in bed. You probably haven't eaten all day. The soup will be good- it'll fill you up and warm you up. And George made corn bread! Can you believe it? It was actually edible."

"Even O'Malley knows about this." Erica groaned.

"I think he's the one person you absolutely do not have to worry about saying anything about today to anyone else. He was terrified of being here today. He fears you almost as much as he fears my mother. And speaking of my mother, can my mom come and say goodnight to you? She's exhausted and wants to go to bed too. That's all she wants to do- just say goodnight."

"I-, yes. I think your mother could come in and say goodnight to me." Erica hesitated. How could she possibly face Callie's mother? But Callie's mother lived there with them now, for the time being. She had to say goodnight to her. The whole thought of having a mother say goodnight to her child seemed foreign to Erica. Her own mother had never said goodnight to her. As a child, Erica had never known what it was like to be tucked into bed. Any number of nannies and babysitters had put Erica to bed as a child, but that was completely different from being tucked in. Erica had never been read to, she'd never been given a teddy bear to ward off nightmares, and she'd never been given a kiss on her cheek and told to have sweet dreams. Because of that, she had no idea what to say to Callie's mother. How did she wish a happy 'good night' to the mother of the girl whose heart she'd nearly destroyed that day? How could she even look her in the eye? How could she face any of them again? Erica was overwhelmed at the effort that had gone in to finding her when Mark and Derek explained it to her in the car. She was utterly mortified that her colleagues had not only rescued her, but resuscitated her and then had seen her naked too. Erica had seen hundreds, possibly thousands of bodies during her career, but none of them had been the body of a colleague. She knew she'd never be able to look Mark Sloan in the eye ever again. And she knew that despite his new leaf, eventually there'd be a joke, some snide remark that he'd let slip about having seen her naked. She wouldn't be able to tolerate it. Erica's face flooded with embarrassment and she buried her head in her hands, ready to cry again.

Erica's ruminations were disturbed by a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Erica?" Maria Torres was standing next to the bed, slowly rubbing Erica's back and speaking to her softly. Erica hadn't even heard her come in. "Mija, everything's going to be all right. Don't be so upset."

Erica was stunned. Maria had called her Mija. That was her term of endearment for Callie. The term she reserved only for her daughter. The term she used only for family. She chanced a look up at Maria and nearly winced at the concern written all over Maria's face. "Maria, I'm sorry for what I put Callie through today. What I put everyone through today. I'm sorry. You didn't deserve to come home to this. You must have been exhausted to begin with and I've made it worse."

"Mija, now that you're home, I'm just fine. I'm looking forward to sleeping in that beautiful room that you and Callie set up just for me." Maria leaned in and gave Erica a peck on her forehead. "Good night, Erica. Sleep well. Tomorrow's another day, and things that are painful and embarrassing aren't always so bad the next day. Remember that."

"I will, Maria. Thank you."

"Good night, Mija. Sweet dreams. Tomorrow morning you can sleep in and then I'm going to cook a big breakfast for you and Callie."

For the first time that night, Erica smiled. "Callie did warn me that you were going to feed me until I explode."

Maria smiled but pretended to be insulted. "I wouldn't go that far. But I will put some meat on those bones of yours. And I hear that you're quite a cook, so maybe we can swap recipes."

"I'd like that. I look forward to it." Erica said.

"Life is better when there's something to look forward to, isn't it?" Maria asked.

"It is." Erica said.

"There's always something to look forward to Erica. Always. And when there's something to look forward to, there's hope. You're never without hope." Maria bestowed those words of wisdom on Erica as she left the room, closing the door behind her. Erica couldn't help but smile. She'd just been tucked in for the first time in her life, and she'd been given a happy thought to keep her safe and content through the night. It felt really good to be tucked into bed. Erica laid back and rested her head against the pillows, thinking about what Callie's mother had said to her.

When Callie returned a few minutes later with a tray loaded with food, Erica caught her eye and gave her a genuine smile as she sat back up. "Your mom is one smart cookie, you know that?"

"I do." Callie said as she returned Erica's smile. "Mind if I eat with you? I didn't eat today either, though my mother tried to make me." Callie put the tray on the bed and sat next to Erica. "Remember the last time we had food in bed?"

"I do." Erica said with a smile. "Those days at the spa were the happiest of my life Callie, all because of you."

"Do you think we can go back to being that happy again, Erica? Because I would really like that."

"I think we'll go back to being that happy… and happier. I promise you that. And even though I came close to it tonight, I don't break my promises."

"You don't." Callie said. "You haven't yet and I know you never will."

"I promise to love you forever." Erica said, taking Callie's hand in her own.

"And I promise to love you right back." Callie said with a grin as she squeezed Erica's hand.

They ate in a companionable silence, and after Callie returned their empty dishes to the kitchen, they fell asleep in a comfortable embrace. Tomorrow was another day, and Erica knew she could face it with Callie by her side.


	71. Epilogue

**A/N:** Thanks again to everyone who stuck with me through this entire story. Your reviews and encouragement were all wonderful! I leave you with this epilogue (with a twist) that I hope you'll enjoy. :)

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The days following Erica's disappearance flew by. The house phone rang constantly with well wishes from Erica's rescuers. At first Erica felt sick with embarrassment, but with each call, she found herself relaxing. These people genuinely cared about her. They'd never do anything to purposely embarrass her. Even Mark Sloan was a perfect gentleman about it, and the dirty pretty man whore had seen her naked.

Erica spent nearly three hours on the phone with Dr. Wyatt, who called her from her cruise in Bermuda after her after hours call service notified her of Erica's near-death experience. Dr. Wyatt assured Erica she'd bill her for the ship to shore call. Erica didn't blink an eye at the cost, but she did embrace the therapy and Dr. Wyatt believed her when Erica said she was stable enough to not need another session of therapy until Dr. Wyatt returned two weeks later.

After lunch the next day, Richard Webber showed up at their front door. It took all of Erica's resolve to sit down with him at the kitchen table and not run and hide in another room. Richard apologized to Erica for trying to bring Preston Burke back. He proposed a plan to Erica that he felt would be beneficial to both Erica and the hospital. A week later, when Erica felt ready to return to work, she scrubbed in and oversaw Cristina Yang as she did her first solo valve replacement. Erica walked her through each step, and when it became necessary, she stepped in to correct a potential mistake. The surgery was almost entirely done by Cristina Yang, but under Erica's strict supervision. Every carido-thoracic surgery thereafter was conducted in that manner. Cristina was learning and Erica was fulfilling her duty as a teacher. And every once in a while, Erica got to hold the scalpel and make a precious cut or two. It wasn't full-time surgery, but it was better than sitting around doing consults day in and day out.

Two weeks later, Erica and Callie got dressed up in brand new Jason Warner dresses and painted the town red after a fantastic fashion show in downtown Seattle. Maria had helped them with their hair and makeup, and sat patiently and painted their nails for them. Maria happily chatted away about Callie's prom and her college formals. Erica realized for what would not be the last time how much she missed out on as a child and teenager, but with every little thing that Maria did for Erica, the hurt that had been caused by missing out was slowly repaired.

Six weeks after her last MRI and her adventures in the sea, Erica Hahn was finally cleared physically and emotionally to go back to full-time surgery. Callie and her mother planned a small surprise party for Erica at Joe's bar, and watched in amusement as Erica got mind-numbingly drunk and danced part of the night away with none other than Mark Sloan. And Mark Sloan, whose new leaf really had become his life, acted once again like a perfect gentleman. Callie and Erica celebrated the next morning when Erica awoke not only hangover-free, but free from any post-concussion, alcohol-induced headaches. Said celebration had included a lot of sex, and despite their efforts to keep it quiet, their celebration had sent Maria Torres for a long, long walk around the neighborhood.

Eight weeks after she came home from the hospital, Maria Torres was cleared by a tearful Erica Hahn for the flight back to Miami. Four days after that, they'd packed up Maria's belongings and brought her to the airport. They stood in the parking lot long after Maria's flight was scheduled to take off, simply because Callie wanted to watch her mother's plane fly away. Unsure of which plane was really her mother's, they watched the planes take off for nearly two hours before heading home. The days following Maria's departure were sad ones, lightened only by the frequent phone calls from Maria. Erica shined when Maria would ask Callie to hand the phone to Erica when they were done speaking. Callie hid her disappointment over the lack of communication from her father quite well, though Erica knew how much it hurt her and she did her best to take her mind off of him.

One year after their first kiss, Callie surprised Erica again with a new set of luggage and plane tickets. They were going back to the spa to celebrate their anniversary. Not to be outdone, Erica packed a surprise of her own, in the form of an engagement ring. Erica made sure to keep the ring in her pocket at all times, fearful that it would meet the same fate as their sex toys had in their luggage a year earlier. She needn't have worried about the luggage or Callie's response when she'd popped the question. Callie was so shocked and surprised that she almost couldn't speak, but when she did, her resounding "yes!" echoed through the same valley they'd overlooked a year before when they had tried to plan a way to tell Callie's parents about their relationship.

Despite what they'd originally said to Jessica and Amanda, the two women decided to marry in California and not Canada. Addison hosted a beautiful ceremony and reception for them at her house on the beach. She cried when Callie asked her to be their maid of honor. Callie cried for most of the morning when just her mother had arrived for the wedding, but she'd known all along that her father would not be there. By the time the ceremony was ready to begin, Erica had calmed Callie and the two of them looked absolutely radiant. Callie's mother walked Callie down the aisle; Mark Sloan had gotten the honor of escorting Erica up to the justice of the peace. Jessica and Amanda had taken the news about not having the wedding up in Canada very well, and were pleased to have been invited down to California for the event. They enjoyed several days exploring Los Angeles after the wedding was over. Erica and Callie spent six weeks touring Europe for their honeymoon. They returned to Seattle exhausted and elated. They spent days regaling their coworkers with stories from their trip.

Two years into their marriage, Callie finally broached the subject of children with Erica. Erica knew the conversation had been coming- Callie had been watching Meredith Grey waddle around Seattle Grace for weeks as she carried Derek Shepherd's baby. What Callie didn't know was that Erica had been spending a lot of time watching the babies in the nursery, wondering herself what it would be like if she and Callie had a child of their own. She was surprised to realize that she really wouldn't mind it at all, that she actually looked forward to it. After much discussion, they decided that they would harvest eggs from both Erica and Callie and implant them in Callie after they found a suitable donor. They decided they wanted their children to be exactly that- their children. Not just Callie's child. Callie's willingness and outright excitement at the prospect of carrying a child still puzzled Erica, but she was happy that they were taking this step in their lives together.

Addison happily came to Seattle and performed the egg harvest on both of them. She explained that while it was feasible that an egg from Callie and an egg from Erica would reach full term, it was likely that any children produced as a result of this procedure could be all Callie's or all Erica's and that once they were implanted. Addison would have no way of knowing which baby was which. Addison laughed when the two responded in stereo that it was a risk that they were willing to take. The two of them spent the day following the egg harvest as roommates in their own hospital room, jokingly bitching to one another at just how painful the experience had really been.

Days later, the two women sat in the lounge and leafed through a catalog from a sperm bank. They had so far been unable to find a donor they felt was suitable. They wanted a donor whose physical features matched one or both of them, but who also appeared to be intelligent and healthy. Mark Sloan overheard them when he had entered the lounge to grab a can of soda. Erica almost fainted when he offered to be their donor. It was true that he'd become a good friend to both Callie and Erica in the years since Erica had stolen Callie right out from underneath Mark, but Erica felt that his offer was crossing the line. Callie on the other hand, knew about Mark and Addison's aborted baby and how much Mark had really wanted to be a father. It took another several days of discussion between the three of them before they were satisfied that Mark could be the donor if he agreed to take a largely hands-off approach to the child's upbringing. He could be Uncle Mark if he wanted, but not Daddy. Mark was okay with that, and within days they had the legal paperwork drawn up by an attorney.

It took all of Erica's resolve to be strong and not cry with Callie the first time they implanted the fertilized eggs into Callie but she failed to get pregnant. The second time the procedure failed, Erica's resolve failed and she cried right along with Callie as they looked at the negative sign on the home pregnancy test. Two weeks after Callie's third and final attempt at implantation, Callie woke up alone. Erica had been called into the hospital during the night for a trauma and she hadn't returned. Feeling hopeful, Callie stopped at the lab at the hospital on her way into work and took another pregnancy test. Afraid of what the results would be, she didn't stick around to find out. She headed off for her shift, hoping for a distraction to take her mind off of what could possibly be her last chance at motherhood. Callie got the distraction she was hoping for when the Chief called her into his office later that day and made her head of orthopedic surgery. At the end of her shift, Callie returned to the lab and picked up her file. She had been walking on air after she'd gotten her promotion, but the news she read in her file had her gripping the counter at the lab with white knuckles.

That night, when Callie returned home, Erica was standing in the kitchen with a bottle of champagne. Erica grinned at Callie as she popped the cork, congratulating Callie on the promotion she'd known was coming for weeks but had been made to keep silent about. When she poured two glasses of bubbly and went to hand one to Callie, Callie just grinned at her and shook her head. Puzzled, Erica asked her if she wasn't happy about the promotion. Beaming, Callie replied that she was happy about the promotion but even happier about her pregnancy. Erica dropped the glass she was holding and let it shatter on the floor as she pulled Callie into her arms and kissed her. The champagne and the broken glass in the kitchen remained forgotten as Erica and Callie celebrated in their bedroom instead.

Callie's pregnancy had been rather uneventful, and they were thankful for it. At Callie's first ultrasound, Addison (who had once again flown up to care for Callie) detected two strong heartbeats. Callie was having twins and the news caused both women nothing but elation. Callie and Erica spent the remainder of Callie's pregnancy speculating over the babies' genders (both wanted to be surprised) and whether the babies would look like just one of them or both of them.

In Callie's ninth month, Addison flew up to Seattle and stayed. Callie had gotten as big as a house and Addison knew that Callie could deliver early. The babies were healthy and already in position for birth. Erica, Callie and Addison were sitting in the hospital cafeteria one afternoon when Erica's pager went off. A trauma was rolling in and she had to take care of it. She leaned over and kissed Callie on the cheek, promising her she'd try to be home in time for dinner. When Erica left, Addison looked at Callie with narrowed eyes and asked her how far apart her contractions were. Callie was surprised- she hadn't said anything to anyone because her contractions were still so far apart and her water hadn't broken. Sensing Callie's question, Addison said that she made her living delivering babies, and that she'd just had a feeling she'd be delivering Callie's babies that afternoon.

When Richard Webber and Cristina Yang barged in to Erica's operating room two hours into the delicate trauma surgery that had interrupted her lunch, Erica knew something had to be wrong. Richard beamed at Erica and told her to scrub out. Callie was in labor and asking for her. Without hesitation, Erica handed the reigns over to Cristina Yang. Cristina had, indeed, turned out to be a fine cardio-thoracic surgeon.

Erica arrived in Callie's room just as Eric Torres-Hahn entered the world. He fussed and wiggled, but didn't cry much. He bore a striking resemblance to his blond-haired, blue-eyed mother. Minutes later, Sloane Torres-Hahn made her worldly debut, kicking and screaming. There was no mistaking the attitude: it was all Callie. If the attitude hadn't given away the fact that Sloane was definitely Callie's child, the fact that she looked exactly like her brown-haired, brown-eyed mother certainly did. Later, the two women snuggled on Callie's bed and held the sleeping infants while they cried silent tears of joy. Mark Sloan stopped by, having gotten the news earlier that day but staying away for a while to respect the privacy of the new mothers. He too shed tears of joy when he found out that one of the children that he'd helped to bring into the world had been named in his honor.

Erica knew that with each milestone that passed in their lives, Callie regretted not being able to share it with her father. Maria Torres had come back to Seattle to see them often, and she spent the first six weeks after the babies were born helping the two younger women ease into motherhood. Callie asked about her father often, and Maria kept her replies brief and general. She didn't tell Callie very much because she knew that each detail she shared with Callie hurt her because she'd missed out on it.

Two weeks before the babies' first birthdays, Erica caught them on videotape laughing hysterically at faces Callie was making at them. Erica emailed the video to Maria Torres, hoping it would brighten her day as much as it had brightened theirs. When Maria opened the attachment to the email, the unmistakable sound of Callie's voice and the raucous giggles of two babies met Jesus Torres' ears. Curiosity got the better of him and he watched the video over Maria's shoulder. Maria pretended she didn't notice he was standing there as she replayed the video over and over again, laughing along with it.

The Saturday after the twins turned one, Erica and Callie threw a first birthday party and invited all of their friends from the hospital. Maria Torres was flying in that morning. When the doorbell rang hours before the party was slated to begin, Callie beamed because she knew that her mother had arrived. She handed Eric over to Erica, who was already balancing Sloane on her other hip. When Erica heard Callie gasp after opening the door, she raced as fast as she could to see what was wrong. She nearly dropped both babies as she watched a beaming Maria Torres follow a hesitant Jesus Torres into the house.

"Hola, Mija." He said quietly, and Callie wrapped her arms around him in a tearful hug.


End file.
